Wheat Oatmeal Bread

I have an affinity for oats.

I think they might be my favorite baking ingredient {don't tell my white whole wheat flour, which is a close second}.

Aren't they just wonderful?

They do this great thing to bread... they keep it super moist.

Really.

This healthy bread uses all whole wheat flour, oats, honey as a sweetener and olive oil as a fat -- yep, it's  got the good stuff in it :)

But you don't have to take my word for it.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread - Adapted from Heartfelt Homemaking
{Print Recipe}

1 C warm water
1/2 T yeast
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C oats {if Old Fashioned, run through the blender to break apart}
1 C wheat flour
1 C white wheat flour
1 C bread flour
1/6 C olive oil
1/6 C honey

If you have a bread machine -- put the ingredients in the bread machine according to manufacturers directions.  Be sure to place the oil in before the honey... so the honey slides right out of the measuring cup :)

Place the insert into your machine and let the machine do all the hard work for you!  

Set the machine cycle to whole wheat and about 3 hours later, enjoy some delicious, moist oatmeal bread.

If you don't have a bread machine, or want to make the bread by hand, it's quite simple to do, really.  

First, combine the water and yeast in a large bowl {or, the bowl from your mixer}.  Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes.  Then, add in the oil, honey, salt and oatmeal.  Mix to combine.  

Next, add in the flours, 1 C at a time, mixing as you go.  

Once most of the flour is mixed, stick a clean hand into the bowl and begin to knead the dough right in the large bowl {I've had success getting the dough started this way}.  

Then, continue kneading on a lightly floured surface for 7-9 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  

Place a dough into a lightly greased bowl; cover and let it sit for an hour in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and then shape it into a greased loaf pan.  Let the loaf rise for about an hour or until the loaf is 1 inch above the side of the pan.  

Then, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:

• Tasty Tuesdays
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday