Honey Oatmeal Bread : ABC October 2012

The bake at Avid Baker's Challenge (ABC) for this month is Honey Oatmeal Bread, taken from "The Weekend Baker" by Abigail Johnson Dodge.  I was looking forward to bake another one of Abby's bread, as I love the Brioche Bread and Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls a couple of months back. Just like the previous two breads, this Honey Oatmeal Bread is another winner.

It is soft, moist and smells of honey, really nice, while baking. Abby has, like all recipes in this book, provides the "do aheads". If you are planning to bake this the next morning, the dough can be prepared and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. She has given the option of making this bread either my hand or to mix in a stand mixer. I chose to mix the dough in my bread machine instead.

1. The ingredients : rolled oats, butter and salt, (reduced salt to 1 scant teaspoon).

2. Bring the milk to a boil, remove from heat and add the rolled oats, butter and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. (I only stirred twice).
3. Honey is added in, stirring till well combined.
4.Transfer the mixture into the bread pan.
5. Scatter flour (I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour) on mixture and place the yeast on top. Select Dough Cycle.
6. The risen dough at the end of the Cycle. 

The dough is rolled out, and rolled up like a jelly roll, shaped and placed in the loaf pan.

Smooth out and press gently to flatten the dough in an even layer. Cover with greased plastic wrap and left to rise for about 45 minutes until centre of dough has risen about 1-1/2 inches above the rim of pan.

The risen dough.

Make a cut down the centre along the length of the risen dough. Bake in a preheated oven until puff and browned, about 40 minutes.

Mine was done at 35 minutes. Brush some melted butter over the top crust. Position bread on its side on a wire rack to cool completely.

Oops.... mine was a little too browned! Should have tent the top of the bread with foil but could not view the inside of my oven, (as the bulb connection in my oven was faulty for quite a number of years!). It did not burnt, the crust was good, there's no bitter taste, phew!

This is a lovely bread, it is soft, moist and stays soft too the next day. I enjoyed the bread with a generous spread of my homemade strawberry jam, lovely with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Another keeper recipe!

Please do visit ABC to see the other fellow bakers take on this lovely bread. If you would like to join ABC, please contact Hanaa.