There’s something special about homemade bread. This honey oatmeal bread is great for sandwiches, toast, and everything in between. And your house will smell fabulous!
The Recipe
by volume                    by weight
1½ cups warm water        360 grams warm water
2/3 cup rolled oats          35 grams rolled oats
1½ teaspoons dry yeast     14 grams dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey       64 grams honey
3¼ cups bread flour        390 grams bread flour
1½ teaspoons salt          6 grams salt
Directions
Combine the water, oats, yeast, and honey and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until the it begins to foam.
time: 0 minutes
time: 10 minutes
Mix in the salt and the flour, holding about a half a cup in reserve. (Be sure to add the salt after you have added some of the flour. Salt regulates the growth of yeast and if you mix it directly into the liquid it can kill the yeast.)
Knead the dough approximately 10 minutes and use the reserved flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
Round the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn the dough over so the entire surface is coated. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise for approximately one hour until it doubles in size.
Shape the dough into a rough rectangle by pressing gently.
Starting a the short end, roll the dough up and seal it to itself as you go by either pressing with your thumbs or with the heel of your hand. (I like to press down an a little bit away from myself to make sure there is no trapped air.) If you don’t press to seal the dough, you will end up with a large air pocket in the middle of the finished product.
The dough should end up in a football shape. If you use both hands in the rolling up and sealing this shape is not difficult achieve.
Rotate the dough so that it is seam side down.
Place the shaped dough in the pan and brush the top lightly with melted butter.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled again. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen this should take 30 to 45 minutes. While you wait for the dough, heat the oven to 350F.
Bake the bread for approximately 45 minutes. The dough will sound hollow when lightly rapped on the bottom rather than a dull thud. Brush the finished loaf again with melted butter and turn out of the pan to cool on a wire rack.
Alternatives
Honey oatmeal bread has great flavor and the honey gives the crust a lovely golden color, but if you are trying to cut back on sugar you can certainly leave it out.
I like to brush the loaf with butter when it comes out of the oven. It softens the crust and adds a nice flavor. If you like a crust that is a bit crunchier then just omit this step. Also, if you leave the butter step out you can sprinkle the top with rolled oats before baking which is a nice aesthetic touch. Just be sure to brush the top of the loaf with a bit of water and press so the oats will adhere.
