January 18, 2009 - 10:18am
Honey Oatmeal Bread - Millie Niehaus
2 Cup boiling H2O
1 Cup rolled oats
2 1/2 teasp salt
1/2 tablep butter
1/2 Cup honey or molasses
1/3 Cup warm H2O
2 packets active dry yeast
6 Cups white flour
Bring water to boil. Turn off and add oats, butter and honey. Let stand for 20 minutes. Put yeast in the 1/3 C warm water and let rise double. Add yeast to other ingrediants and then flour. Beat and knead - May need a little more flour. Let rise until double in bulk or more. Make into two loaves. Let rise until good shaped loaf. Make in 325 degree oven for 45 min or brown.
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Alright, I tried this recipe Monday night and it turned out devine! You can really taste the honey but it's not over powering at all. The only thing that I did differently is that I baked it at 375 instead of 325, mostly because it was a reading error, but it still turned out just fine. We never eat enough of it to use two loaves so I'm going to freeze the second for next week.
Thank you, thank you. This is exactly what I've been looking for, and it came out wonderfully. I replaced one cup of white flour with one cup of whole wheat flour (something I almost always do nowadays), both for nutrition and for taste and texture (I really like the flavor of about 1:5 wheat:white), and it was divine, all right. It will be perfect for sandwiches. Here are my loaves (that's some melted butter on top):
I'm so glad that you liked it! I will take your idea and add some whole wheat flour to the batch too this next week when I make it. Your pictures look wonderful!! Thank you for posting them as mine were not fitting on the page. Glad I could share with you.
I think actually you could put a higher ratio of whole wheat in this recipe. It seems very light, sweet, and well able to handle a bit more grittiness and texture. The oats - maybe I let them soak too long - do not have any crunch; they're completely mixed with the flour even to the point where you can't see them at all. Not complaining, though; it's still delicious!
I'll try a bit more whole wheat next time and let you know.
I was actually wondering about the two packets of yeast, too, but for another reason: I'm used to using a bit less than that, I think because I have been making a pre-ferment (Ciabatta has been my previous greatest success) and you don't need as much when you do that, I guess. But this did come out perfect. Actually, below are another couple of my pictures; I live in the Northeast and have been keeping the house around 64 degrees to save money, so I put my dough by the fire to rise! As you can see, it works very well! ;-)
(I think I baked at about 350 degrees or so, myself, BTW. Can't actually remember now....)
I am wondering about the two packets of yeast. I made a similiar recipe for honey oatmeal that used two packets of yeast that was allowed to double in warm water and it had a definite alcohol taste and smell to it. Of course, I'm very inept so that could very well be a large part of the problem.
Also, is there a reason for the 325 oven? Curious about that also as other recipes seem to call for a hotter oven--around 350 or so.
I tried this recipe, and I truly believe my "stinky bread" days are behind me. I haven't cut it yet (it's on the stove cooling) but it looks and SMELLS fantastic. (Been having a problem with smelly bread http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10447/no-smell-or-weird-smell-no-bread-smell )
Thank you so much for this recipe! Oh, I did chicken out on the 325 and baked it at 350. It was over 195 degrees in EXACTLY 45 minutes.
Perfect!
Wow, those are gorgeous! Much puffier and more beautiful than mine - how'd you get that, do you know? And a beautiful slit in the top, too. I forgot about doing that.
Beautiful!
Your's look wonderful! I'm going to try mine again this weekend. I will be adding more whole wheat flour to see if I can up the nutrition just a little bit. Wonderful shiny tops to yours!! I love it!
Also as far as cooking the oatmeal too long, mine mixed right in with the flour except for the crust. I liked it better that way, but I'm sure you could even use some uncooked oats for a cruchier feel.
I love this bread! I tried a few times with the original recipe and loved it. Since then, I've made a few changes:
I use half regular honey and half buckwheat honey -- I think this gives a bit more depth.
I use nearly 2 tablespoons of butter. (Started out as a mistake but liked it so kept it.)
I substitute one of the cups of white flour with whole wheat. Also, I weigh the flour.
The main change, and the one I like the most is that instead of using a cup of oats, I toast about a third or more a cup of groats (until they are starting to "pop") then to this I add a handful or two of steel cut oats and finish off the cup measure with plain rolled oats. Love the crunchiness the steel cut oats add and the toasted groats really add to the taste, too.
I bake it at 350 and the loaves are done at exactly 45 minutes. I've also done hamburger rolls out of this and they are to die for. You wouldn't think it, but there's something about the sweet crunchy bread with the mustard and meat that just goes together fantastically.
We love this bread so much, I usually make it at least once a week. Great toasted or plain. Just plain great!