Soft Honey Oat Bread

Between the pregnancy and some sinus/ear stuff, I have been feeling pretty cruddy for the last week. So when I woke up yesterday morning feeling decent, I decided it was time to get some of my baking done! (And actually make real meals.)

I decided to make bagels (recipe to follow) and this soft honey oat bread! They're both breads I wanted to make in the next couple of weeks, and days off are best for making bread! 

In general, I am NOT a honey fan, not by itself. Nate & Gabriel both love it, but I would rather just have it in something to sweeten it up! Breads are the best for honey, if you are going to add much of anything sweet. (And this bread is definitely sweet! At least with how much honey I put on top!) 

We absolutely love this bread! I don't know if it's the honey or the milk, but it's incredibly moist. I even decided to make a double batch.... but then I had to knead it by hand, because my KitchenAid couldn't handle it. :( On a side note, I've decided I want a bigger KitchenAid for Christmas next year. It's only $500, I'm sure I can convince Nate I need it! ;)

If you are looking for a great sandwich bread... this isn't it. (Well, I don't think it is, at least.) This is great warm, or just with a little bit of butter or honey. For me, it's too sweet (especially the crust) for sandwiches. If you don't put much honey on top (see instructions), it might be manageable though. We actually got a big jar of honey from my brother & sister-in-law for Christmas, from their farm. I didn't use any of that for actually making the bread (it seems like a waste to put such nice honey IN the bread), but I would be very surprised if Nate doesn't! He was SOO excited when he saw the honey!!

I didn't change this one much from the original, aside from how much honey/oats I put on top. I don't measure, I just pour out some honey til it looks pretty, and sprinkle on some oats til it looks pretty. :) (Don't blame me, my Mama taught me how to cook.)


As always, comments are love!

Soft Honey Oat Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour    
• 3/4 cups oats + extra
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast    
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk     
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter     
• 1/4 cup honey + extra

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, warm the milk so it’s hot enough to melt the butter, but not boiling. Add the butter, stirring until melted, then stir in the water and honey. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing with a dough hook. 
3. Knead in the mixer (or by hand) for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still wet and sticky after 5 minutes, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is barely tacky. If the dough is too dry, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to soften it up. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
4. Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, dry work surface. With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 9”x12” rectangle. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9”x5” loaf pan, cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. When the loaf is doubled, drizzle warmed honey over the top and sprinkle with oats.
7. Place the bread in the oven and pour boiling water into a pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and the internal temperature is about 190°.
8. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Yield/Time

Makes 1 loaf

Total time: 2-3 hours

Source (for original): Bakingdom