Make My Day Camp: Oatmeal Bread

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Oatmeal Bread

I made 2 batches of this recipe - 1 regular-sized loaf, and 2 smaller free-form loaves (I didn't use a bread pan for the small ones, just shaped into loaves and placed on a baking sheet). At first I was thinking it was just ok, not a ton of flavor and certainly not very pretty, it's very much a 'sandwich' bread - more about the filling or topping than about the bread. But then I served it with yesterday's 'Beer-Glazed Sausage and Apples' and it was amazing. The perfect texture and flavor to soak up the sauce - it went from 'pretty good' to 'great' just that fast!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oatmeal, plus additional for topping
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup boiling water
1 T. honey
1 T. molasses
1 T. oil
1 t. salt
1/4 cup warm water, about 110'F
2 t. yeast
1 pinch granulated sugar
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

Mix the oats and whole wheat flour in a bowl, add the boiling water and stir.
Stir in the honey, molasses, oil, and salt and let cool about 1/2 hour.
In a small bowl, mix the warm water with the yeast and a pinch of sugar, stirring to dissolve yeast. Place in a warm spot for about 10 minutes until foam forms on the top of the mixture.

4. Add the yeast to the oat mixture and mix well. Start adding the all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time until a firm dough forms.
5. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and somewhat smooth. Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot (70 to 85') until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

6. Shape the bread into a sandwich loaf (see below for directions) and place it in the pan. Spray the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle oatmeal on the bread. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost double. 7. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450' for 1/2 hour.

8. Slash the top of the loaf a couple times with a sharp knife. Place the loaf pan in the oven and turn down to 400'. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until done (you can check the internal temperature to confirm it's done when it reaches 190'). Let cool before serving.

How to shape the bread into a sandwich loaf:

begin by adding a light dusting of flour onto your board or counter. Be sure to flour your rolling pin and hands as well. Using the rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Roll up the dough starting along one of the long sides to form a long, loaf-like shape. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers (you can use a little water to help it stick together if it won't stay closed by just pinching it together). Bring the ends up over the seam and pinch it closed. Roll the loaf over so that the seam is on the bottom. Finish shaping the dough into a loaf by pushing on the ends so it will fit inside your bread pan.