Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

Homemade fresh baked bread is such a delicious thing to have around your home! Homemade bread is probably one of my favorite things to make and it is just SO much better than store-bought bread! Making yeast breads is a little tricky at first, and I have definitely had my share of "failed attempts", but it is so worth it once you get the hang of it! My bread definitely does not come out perfect every time, but I believe this recipe is just so fool-proof and delicious! I have used homemade bread as a delicious breakfast, topped with jam or peanut butter and I have used it for grilled cheeses- AMAZING! The sandwiches are thick and hearty! You could also use it for french toast, dip it in Olive Oil and Vinegar, or you could slice it and freeze for whenever you want a tasty slice of bread! Bread freezes very well and it tastes practically fresh if frozen properly and thawed! I do love sweet bread like banana, chocolate chip or coconut bread but this whole wheat oatmeal bread is one of my favorite yeast bread recipes! An extra bonus is that while baking this bread your house will smell delicious! 

Recipe: 

Makes 1 large loaf 

1 Cup water
1 Cup milk
1 TBS active dry yeast (found by baking powder in baking aisle)
1 TBS honey
2 TBS molasses
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rolled oats (not all purpose flour- you can find this next to flours in baking aisle)
4 TBS unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 TBS kosher salt
Additional oats for topping the loaf (optional)

Directions: 

Lightly grease or butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

1. Heat the milk and water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave until warm but not too hot, about 115 degrees if you have a thermometer. Combine the water, milk, yeast, honey and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Let stand 5 minutes until the mixture bubbles, to make sure your yeast is good. If your mixture does not bubble, your yeast is probably not fresh. 

2. Add the flours, oats, melted butter and salt to the mixing bowl with the liquid. Knead for 6 minutes on medium speed.  The dough should climb the dough hook and slap around the sides of the bowl without sticking. If your dough is sticking to the sides too much, add a TBS of flour at a time to get it to not stick. 

3. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm area to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.  If you are not sure if it is ready, gently poke the dough.  If it springs back, the dough needs to proof longer.  If a dimple remains, it’s ready. (I usually heat my oven to the lowest setting and then place the covered bowl on the counter next to the oven to make sure that it is warm enough to rise)

4. To shape the loaf, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Shape into a square, then grab the top and bottom edges and fold together towards the center, meeting the edges in the middle.  Pinch the seam and sides, sealing with your fingers.  Roll the dough back and forth, into an even log and about the size of your bread pan. Gently place the dough into your bread pan, seam side down. Press the dough gently into the corners of the bread pan.

5. Cover the loaf with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  It will puff up over the edges of the pan.When the loaf is ready to be baked, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the top of the loaf with water and then sprinkle the oats on top of the bread.  Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. The bread is done baking when the crust is dark golden brown. Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing. After it is cooled completely, you can slice it and place in a freezer bag to use for later use! 

originally from: http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/wheat-oatmeal-sandwich-bread/