Few culinary pleasures in life top a loaf of freshly baked bread. It speaks to the senses: kneading the dough, smelling the yeast rise and bake throughout the house, opening the oven to the sight of a golden loaf, cutting a slice both crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, and savoring a bite slathered in butter and jam. Heaven! The temperatures have been skyrocketing and plummeting, lending themselves to salads one day and soup another. Both instances benefit from a loaf of Maple Oatmeal Bread, a simple recipe to feed the body and soul. Let us not forget that food may be both completely nutritious and fully delicious. As such, Maple Oatmeal Bread defines pleasure for me and may do the same for you, too.
Maple Oatmeal Bread
1¼ cup warm water or warm milk (105ºF to 115ºF) or any combination of the two
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, or sunflower oil
½ cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave syrup or ¼ cup brown sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose bread flour
2 cups whole wheat bread flour or spelt flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon yeast
- Place all ingredients, in order, into the large bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Beat at low speed until dough is smooth, comes cleanly off of sides, and climbs hook, about 8 minutes. If dough is sticky add additional unbleached all-purpose bread flour as needed one tablespoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much additional flour or bread will be tough and/or dry.
- Cover bowl and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubles, about 1½ hours.
- Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
- Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes, shaping into an 8-by-3-inch log.
- Place into pan and cover loosely with a buttered sheet of wax paper or foil wrap.
- Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until center is 1½ inches higher than top of pan, about 45 minutes.
- Gently pull cover off top of loaf and bake in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes until deep golden.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes. Then, run knife around edges of bread and turn out of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 1 large loaf
Note: You may use only whole wheat bread flour in this recipe. However, I would begin with 3 ½ cups and add additional whole wheat bread flour slowly, by the tablespoon, as needed in order to prepare a dough that is springy to the touch but not too dry or tough. Also, you may brush loaf with milk or cream and sprinkle with oats just prior to baking for added pizzazz.
