Honey~ Oat Bread 12/10/94

6 c Bread Flour
1 c Quick cooking Oats
2 Packages Active Dry Yeast
-2pkg = 4 1/2 ts measurement
2 ts Salt
1 3/4 c Water
1/3 c Honey; or Brown Sugar
1/4 c Butter; melted
2 lg Egg; beaten slightly

In a large bowl, stir together water and Brown Sugar or Honey.
Sprinkle with Yeast and stir until it has dissolved. Stir in Oats.
Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes to let the Oat flour mix absorb
liquid. Do all in a KitchenAid mixer if available. Add oil or butter
and eggs. Mix very well. Stir in Salt. I like to let the sponge mix a
few minutes before I add the salt.
One cup at a time, mix in flour until the dough becomes too
difficult to stir. Turn out on to a “well floured” work surface and
knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour only as necessary to
keep from sticking, about 8 minutes. It takes 4 or 5 minutes on the
KitchenAid. This recipe usually takes 6 full cups of flour.
This is the place where I freeze 1/2 of this bread….To Freeze:
place the 1/2 recipe of this dough into an oiled labeled gallon
plastic freezer bag. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal
tightly. Freeze at once. To use; defrost several hours until dough
rises to double its frozen bulk, then proceed…
Proceed with the half recipe of dough.
Place the dough in a large well oiled bowl. I spray the used
KitchenAid Bowl with non-stick and throw the dough back in, spray
the top of the dough as well. Cover with plastic wrap, or a moist
towel. Let the dough rise in a warm draft free place.
Check the rise at 45 minutes, the “perfect place” rises this bread
in 45 minutes.
Punch dough down. If you are doing this entire recipe, divide the
dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf. This also makes a nice
round loaf with a crunchy crust…..
Pan Loaf making: beginning at one narrow end, tightly roll up the
dough to form a loaf. Pinch seam edge into dough to seal. Lightly oil
a loaf pan.
Meanwhile, place oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat
to 375 degrees F. Place each loaf in a prepared 8 1/2″ X 4 1/2″ X 2
1/2″ loaf pan, seam side down. Cover, let it rise in a warm place
free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes . Check the
rise at 35 minutes, the “perfect place” rises this bread in the pan,
in 35 minutes.
This is the place where I make decorative slits into the top of the
loaf.
In a small bowl, whisk egg white with one tb of water. Brush a
little of the egg white mixture over the top of the loaf and sprinkle
with 2 tb Oat Bran, or sesame seeds just before placing in the oven.
Bake for 35 minutes on a baking stone or 40 minutes in the bread pan.
To make the crust even crustier, spray the top of the loaf with
water, and liberally spray the inside of the over at 5 minute
intervals and/or place a water filled pie pan in the oven on a lower
rack than the bread. (boiling water added to the pie pan just before
baking makes sure you have steam….) Makes one or two loaves, each
about 18, 1/2″ slices.

Yields
2 Loaves