Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

I stumbled upon this bread recipe with oats as main ingredient, while looking for whole wheat bread. Oats add a very nice soft texture to the bread.  I adapted the recipe using more of whole wheat flour, and less of all purpose flour. I have made the bread using the exact recipe, and sometimes modified version using less oil, and sugar. In all instances the bread comes out good in taste in all methods.  So one can tweak the ingredients per one's taste buds. This bread recipe yields 2 loafs one big and one small. The 2 loafs go easily for my family for a week. And several occasions I share one of the loaf with friends.

Hope you get to enjoy this too.

Recipe has been adapted from here (Clockwork Lemon)

Recipe from Leslie Mackie's Macrina

Ingredients, and Steps

Step one:

1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup boiling water

-combine and stir until the water has been absorbed

Step two:

2 tsp yeast

1/4 cup warm water

-combine in mixers bowl, let sit for five minutes then stir to dissolve

Step Three:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (it turns out great with regular milk, I have used the unflavored yogurt for buttermilk substitute, and also sometimes used mix of both milk and yogurt)

1/2 cup canola oil (I use 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup)

- I usually combine these in a bowl while I let the yeast sit

(I used more of whole wheat and less of white flour, so have modified this below)

1 cup white flour + 1/2 - 3/4 cup extra (even with 3/4 cup dough should be very sticky)

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp kosher salt

- add these to the mixing bowl with the yeast in it. Mix the flour and yeast on low with the paddle attachment while you pour in the milk, oil, and sugar mixture

add the oats and mix until combined

-switch to the dough hook and knead for 15-20 minutes. The dough will be sticky.. very sticky. Resist the urge to dry it out with more flour. I usually turn the dough over by hand half way through the kneading to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom and not getting kneaded. (the dough will stick to your hands while you do this. don't worry its fine)

Step Four

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to double (one hour or so)

Step Five

Gently flatten the dough into a 12x6 inch rectangle. Cut this in half and then pat into two slightly bigger rectangles. Fold the two sides to overlap (like folding a letter) then roll the dough away from you to form a loaf. Flip the loaf over and let it sit on its seam for a minute. Repeat with second piece

 Place the formed loaves on  trays or loaf pan. Cover in plastic and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the over to 385. For 15-20 minutes bake at 385 F, and once the bread starts settling in, cover the bread with foil, and  bake for additional 20-25 minutes at 350 F until done.