Honey Oatmeal Bread

A while back Lucy attempted to make bread. She used a recipe I've been using for the last few months. It's the best bread I've ever made. But as she's making it, she called for tips. And we discussed how recipes need to add those extra tips in for those of us who are trying new things. I was making pasta at the same time and needed those kinds of tips as well. You can read about me making pasta here. So I thought I would post the bread recipe with the tips.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
3 cups flour
3/4 cup oats
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey. warmed in the microwave

In a 2 cup measuring cup add milk, water, butter, & honey. Place measuring cup in microwave for about 1 minute. Mix to help butter melt. You want the mixture to be between 100° and 110°. If it goes over, just let it sit until it cools to under 110°. Add yeast and stir. Allow to sit about 10 minutes. It will get bubbly and foamy. While waiting for the yeast, add flour, oats, and salt in Kitchenaid mixer bowl.

When yeast is ready, add mixture to flour mixture. Mix with paddle attachment to combine. Then switch to dough hook to knead. Turn on medium speed. At first it will look like it isn't doing anything, just keep going. If it is sticking to the bowl, you may need to add flour slowly. If it is not coming together in one lump and seems a little dry, you may need to add a little water. The dough should be a little sticky. I had to add flour. Lucy who lives in Texas had to add water. Knead in mixer for 10 minutes. I have to hold onto my mixer otherwise it moves all over the counter. After kneading, spray a bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and cover with a clean towel. I put the bowl on top of my stove with the oven on at 225°. It helps the dough rise. Allow to rise for about an hour and a half. The dough will have doubled in size.

Dust an area on your counter with flour. Remove dough from bowl and place on counter. One side of the dough will be dry. I place that side up on the counter. Using you hands, press dough out into a rectangle of 9x12. Roll dough into a loaf 9" long. If you are using a metal or glass loaf pan, spray with cooking spray. If you are using a stone loaf pan, this is not needed. Place loaf into pan. Place pan back on the stove to rise for an hour to and hour and a half.

After dough has doubled, carefully spread warmed honey over risen dough. Turn the oven up to 350°. When oven is heated, place bread in oven to bake for 30-40 minutes. The recipe I used says to sprinkle oats on top of the warmed honey, but they all fell off when cutting the bread. So I've just left them off. The recipe also says to place another loaf pan in the oven when you turn it up to 350°, and then pour 2 cups of boiling water in the pan when you place the bread in the oven. I forgot to do this the last time I made it and it turned out exactly the same. After removing bread from oven allow to cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Then remove from pan and place in a plastic bag or container. The steam from the bread will soften the top. Once cooled, slice the bread.

Recipe adapted from Bakingdom

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