The loaf gets even more flavor from the nutty whole wheat flour and sweet honey.
Homemade oatmeal bread makes school or work lunches extra special.
It makes superb sandwiches and stays soft for several days.
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Even then, its excellent for toast.
The recipe makes two loaves, and it freezes well; its a great make ahead recipe.
Its the ideal Sunday baking project so you could enjoy homemade bread throughout the week.
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
What Are the Best Oats to Use?
The best oats for this bread are old-fashioned rolled oats.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are whole oats that have been steamed, pressed in steel rollers, and flaked.
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They’re the most common oats for oatmeal and baked goods.
Old-fashioned oats have a nice balance of flavor, texture, and water absorption.
Quick-cooking or instant oats are duller in flavor and tend to get gummy.
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They also hold less water, which would make this dough too sticky.
Whole wheat flour is made by grinding the entire wheat kernel, including the bran and germ.
The bran is the fibrous outer layer of the wheat kernel.
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The germ is the sprouting section of the kernel that’s rich in healthy fats.
Certain types of wheat are selected for bread flour to give it a higher protein content than all-purpose flour.
These proteins are what create the gluten structure necessary for bread.
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Yeast is a living organism that consumes the sugars present in the dough and excretes carbon dioxide and alcohol.
The carbon dioxide collects in air bubbles throughout the dough.
As these bubbles fill with more air, they inflate and cause the dough to rise.
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The fermentation process aids in gluten development when the air bubbles stretch the dough.
It also adds flavor by breaking down large molecules into simpler, more flavorful ones.
This recipe uses instant yeast to leaven the dough.
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Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
This oatmeal bread recipe is easy to adapt and very forgiving.
This bread makes excellentsandwiches, from simple peanut butter and banana to flavorful stacks piled high with deli slices.
you could also freeze oatmeal bread for up to 3 months.
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Slice the bread before freezing or leave it whole.
Defrost the loaf at room temperature, still wrapped.
Skipping the egg for the topping is fine too, but the oats may not stick too well.
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Allow the mixture to cool until just barely warm, 20 to 25 minutes.
There shouldnt be any dry spots of flour, but the surface will still be rough.
Continue to mix on low speed for 5 minutes, kneading the dough.
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Use the palm of your hand to push the dough down and away from you, stretching the dough.
After kneading, the dough should be elastic and somewhat smooth, but still very soft.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, lightly oiled bowl.
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Lightly grease twostandard loaf pans(8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) with butter or vegetable oil.
Roll the dough up into a log starting at the short edge and pinch the seam closed.
Place the loaf seam-side down in one of the greased pans.
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Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Tent the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.
When the bread has nearly finished rising, preheat the oven to 375F.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a tablespoon of water until thoroughly combined.
To add the topping, uncover the risen loaves.
Sprinkle each loaf with a couple of tablespoons of oats.
If you have a digital thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should register 190F.
Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool.
Let the loaves cool completely before slicing.
You should get 12 to 16 slices per loaf, depending on how thick you slice it.
I like thin slices for sandwiches and thicker slices for making toast.
