Maple Oatmeal Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon quick-rising yeast
• 1 cup milk, scalded
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Recipe

• 1 in a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats and butter.
• 2 pour boiling water over and stir until butter melts.
• 3 add scalded milk, maple syrup and salt.
• 4 let mixture cool slightly until warm to the touch (if using a thermometer, temperature should read 125 - 130 degrees).
• 5 stir in whole-wheat flour, yeast and egg; beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• 6 stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough.
• 7 turn out on floured board and knead, sprinkling surface with additional flour to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 - 10 minutes.
• 8 shape into a ball and place a lightly buttered bowl; turn to coat dough on all sides with butter.
• 9 cover with a clean dry towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
• 10 punch down dough and divide in half.
• 11 shape into loaves and place in 2 greased 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans.
• 12 brush tops of loaves with melted butter.
• 13 cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk -- about 35 - 45 minutes.
• 14 bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until done.
• 15 turn loaves out of pans and let cool on racks.