Old-fashioned Oatmeal Bread

-DOUGH-
1/2 c Warm water; about 110
-degrees
2 1/2 ts (1 envelope) active dry
-yeast
2 1/2 c Unbleached; all-purpose
-flour
2 tb Light brown sugar
1 ts Salt
2 tb Butter
One 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2
-3/4-inch loaf pan; buttered

Place oatmeal in a heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over it. Stir
once to mix, then set aside until cooled to room temperature. To make the
dough place 1/2 cup water in a small bowl and whisk in yeast. Combine
flour, brown sugar and salt in work bowl of food processor fitted with
metal blade. Pulse until mixed. Add butter and continue to pulse until
mixture is a fine powder with no visible pieces of butter. Remove metal
blade and fit plastic blade. Add cooled oatmeal mixture and yeast mixture
and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Allow the machine to run
continuously for 15 seconds.

To mix dough in a heavy-duty mixer, combine flour, brown sugar and salt in
mixer bowl and stir to mix. Cut butter into 12 pieces, and add to the flour
along with the oatmeal and yeast mixtures; mix on low speed with dough hook
until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

To mix the dough by hand, stir together flour, brown sugar and salt in a
mixing bowl. Rub butter in by hand, then add oatmeal mixture and yeast
mixture. Stir to form a rough dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured
work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place
dough in a buttered bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover bowl with
plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Turn risen dough out onto a floured work surface (you may need the help of
a scraper). Press dough with palms of hands to deflate. To form loaf,
stretch dough into a rough rectangle, then fold in short ends until dough
is approximately the length of the pan. Then fold far long edge down to
middle. Fold remaining long edge over and compress to form a tight
cylinder. Place the loaf in the pan, seam side down. Cover the pan with
plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the
loaf is rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees and set a rack at the middle
level.

When the loaf is completely risen, place in oven and immediately lower
temperature to 350 degrees. Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, until well risen
and firm to the touch. The internal temperature of the bread with be about
210 degrees when it is done. Unmold the loaf to a rack to cool.

Variations:

OATMEAL RAISIN BREAD: Knead in 1 cup raisins by hand after mixing dough.

NOTES : Recipe courtesy of Nick Malgieri