This Honey Oatmeal Breakfast Bread is a little lighter than some of my other breads which are quite hearty. This one uses a lower protein wheat flour, plus oat flour. It’s sweeter and “livelier” and in addition to being super-yummy with just butter (or butter and honey, to stay on the profile. Or honey and jam!), this would likely make a decent French Toast. I’ll have to test that theory at the weekend.
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups traditional rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup dark honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water, between 100-110F
Directions
In a food processor, grind the oats so they are a flour-like texture.
Using a dough whisk or a mixer at slow speed, mix all the ingredients until the flour has been incorporated and a sticky dough forms. Continue to knead the dough gently for 2 to 3 minutes longer until it is somewhat smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest at room temperature overnight, or for at least 8 hours; it’ll become bubbly and rise quite a bit. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and form it into a round or oval loaf.
Preheat oven to 425F with an empty 5-6-quart Dutch oven (oval or round). In the meantime, shape the bread on parchment paper on the counter and let rise while the oven and Dutch oven are heating, 30 minutes or so. Once the Dutch oven is hot, place in the bread with the parchment paper in it (carefully! The pot is very hot!), make two slashes on the top to vent steam and sprinkle on a few remaining oats
Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until it becomes deep brown in color, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 205F. Remove the bread from the oven, turn it out onto a rack, and cool before slicing.
