Oatmeal Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 4 cups bread flour

Recipe

• 1 in a wide saucepan, combine the water, milk, honey, butter and salt. place over medium heat and stir until the butter is melted. transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.
• 2 when the mixture is barely warm to the touch, stir in the dissolved yeast. add the whole wheat flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. stir in the oats.
• 3 gradually blend in the bread flour until the dough becomes too difficult to stir. turn out onto a floured surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to form a cohesive dough. continue kneading in bread flour until the dough is soft, yet no longer sticks to the work surface.
• 4 transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. allow the dough to rise until double in bulk.
• 5 generously grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. punch the dough down, then turn it out onto a floured surface. shape it into 2 loaves and place them in the prepared pans. cover and set aside to rise. when double in bulk, bake in a preheated 375* oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when you tap the tops. cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out. complete cooling on the rack.