My Culinary Trial Room

Monday, August 25, 2014

Honey Oat Bread

So I bake our daily bread. So I am addicted to freshly baked bread. So I eat an extra slice of bread when I make them at home. Cos I know what exactly made their way into the bread. While it is mostly whole wheat with add-ins like nuts and dried fruits, I occasionally make the white variety too. That usually happens when I crave for something soft, fluffy and light like this honey oats bread. The mild sweetness from the honey makes this bread perfect for sandwiches with pestos or nutella, pestos being the current favorite.

Prep time: 10+10 mins; Cooking time: 50 mins; Makes 1 9×5-inch loaf

Adapted from here
~*What U Need*~
All purpose flour - 3 cups
Old fashioned oats - 3/4 cup
Instant yeast - 2 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp
Honey - 1/4 cup

Warm Honey and oats for topping

How I Made it:
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, oats, yeast, and salt. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the butter to 115F. Once the butter is melted, stir water and honey. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing with a dough hook until it just comes together to form a dough. Knead in the mixer for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still very wet and sticky after 5 minutes of kneading, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is barely tacky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1/2 to 1 hour. Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, dry work surface.

With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Tightly roll the dough, tucking the ends as needed, into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9×5-inch loaf pan, cover with a clean dry towel, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1/2 to 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Place an empty loaf pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bring 2 cups of water to a boil. When the loaf is doubled again, brush the top with the warmed honey and sprinkle with the oats. Place the bread in the oven and pour the boiling water into the empty loaf pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.