Recipe: Vermont Oatmeal Maple Honey Bread

Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.  Countryman Press, Woodstock, 2003 p. 203

I've been craving one thing for months, and that's toast.  Actually, I've been craving two things: toast and grilled cheese.  I don't know why.  Toast has its place, but it's not something to get all excited about.  At least, it wasn't something to get all excited about.  And grilled cheese is all well and good in its place, but it's not something to seek out and hunt down like some sort of lunatic stalking the celebrity du jour.  Anyway, these two things are related because they share a common ingredient: bread. 

We make a lot of bread in the Fearless household, but it is generally made into relatively free-form loaves and is not usually very good for either sandwiches or toast.  I could use store-bought bread, but I'm trying to cut down on store-bought products lately.  I'm sure that there are some sandwich breads sold at my market that do contain ingredients I can pronounce, but they're expensive.  If I were pressed for time I would probably use them, but I'm not, so I'd rather make my own right now. 

I made this bread as my first toast-and-grilled-cheese bread.  I liked it.  I liked it a lot, actually.  I never got to make the grilled cheese with it, because the Spouse didn't think the flavor would "go," but I made a lot of toast and I can assure you that the flavor went quite nicely with honey, almond butter, cashew butter and even Nutella.  So there. 

Vermont Oatmeal Maple Honey Bread (makes 2 loaves, approx. 10 slices/loaf; approx. cost per slice $0.21)

2 1/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3 1/2 ounces rolled oats

2 3/4 ounces maple sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

7 3/4 ounces whole wheat flour

17 ounces all purpose flour

Equipment:

• Stand mixer with the dough hook attachment
• Small bowl
• Two loaf pans

1. Combine 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup lukewarm water and the yeast in the small bowl.  Let stand until the mixture is very frothy.  You won't have to ask when that is, trust me, but it should take 5 - 10 minutes.
2. Combine the boiling water, the oats, the maple sugar, the 1 tablespoon honey, the butter, the salt and the cinnamon in the mixer bowl.  Let it cool to lukewarm or thereabouts. 
3. Add the proofed yeast and the flours to the bowl.  Stir to form a rough dough.
4. Knead (in the mixer) on low speed 5 - 7 minutes.  Cover and let rise 1 hour.
5. Grease your loaf pans using whatever cooking lubricant you see fit.  Divide the dough in half and put one half in each pan.  Cover and let rise another hour, until they've crowned about an inch over the rim of the pan. 
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
7. Bake 35 - 40 minutes.  They're done when they're golden brown.  If you have an instant-read thermometer, they should reach 190 degrees. 

Comments

[Juliana]

This bread must taste wonderful...oat and honey. Looks yummie!

[The Duo Dishes]

A warm loaf of bread is so comforting, no matter what. Just pass the butter!

[Sophie]

What excellent looking breads!! That bread must have smelled luscious & must tatsted fabulous!! I will make them this weekend!!

Thanks so much!!!