"If you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you knead"

February has been a rough month thus far for Sar and I - I know, it's only the 3rd, but a lot can happen in 3 days.  The gist of it is that my beloved kitty cat that I've had since I was 4 (which means he's 20 years old) has kitty lymphoma and is not going to make it much longer.  Reality bites, as they say, and I'm pretty sad about it.  Poor Sar also had a trauma yesterday: one of her 7-year-old students accidentally shot a small toy into her open eye, which resulted in a pretty painful injury from which she is recovering - hopefully quickly.  Needless to say, we're a little depressed given our current circumstances.

Now, this post isn't going to be a sad one - I just wanted to give you some background into why this loaf needed (kneaded) to be particularly wonderful.  Sar and I probably couldn't take another disappointment.  Luckily, this was one of the most successful sandwich loaves I've baked - it's comforting to think how something as simple as a perfect loaf of bread can lift my spirits.  The 15 minutes of kneading was also a pretty great way to work out some feelings...and my triceps...just sayin'.

The recipe I used was my own adaptation of Allison and Son of White on Rice Couple's adaptation of Good to the Grain's Whole Wheat Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf.  I won't re-post the whole recipe, as Allison & Son do a great job of it on their blog, but I replaced the bread flour (of which we ran out a while ago) with a mixture of 1 cup light rye flour, 1 cup oatmeal flour, and 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten.  I didn't replace the full 2 1/2 cups since both of these flours are whole grain, and whole grains soak up more liquid than non-whole grain flours.  I did end up needing to add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup all-purpose flour as I kneaded in order to get the dough to the right texture.  It worked out beautifully.

I made this loaf starting at 8pm, so you can imagine that the lighting in our kitchen was less-than-ideal for photography, so here are a very few, badly lit pictures:

 

Although it rose perfectly in the pan in under an hour, I was still not convinced that this was a good sign.  I've had a ton of loaves rise perfectly to this point, and then just stop rising entirely when they get put in the oven...

...but WOW did this guy rise.  I was so happy.

My mom will be happy to know that this turn of events reminded me of a song she would always sing to me when I was little and being particularly annoying and asking for a zillion things that I couldn't have: "You can't always get what you want" made it seem like the Rolling Stones had made a song just to give my mother ammo against my begging and pleading for extra TV time or whatever it was that I was begging for at the moment.  But they were right - "If you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need".  I really needed a win, and this loaf was a definite winner.  Silly as that sounds.

The morning light was a bit better, so these pictures aren't quite as awful as the previous ones.  This bread toasts beautifully, makes a fabulous sandwich, and is all-around fantastic.  It was the perfect pick-me-up breakfast.

Here's to getting just what you need - big or small.

-Lil

Oatmeal Maple-Honey Bread

This loaf is dedicated to Nell, who loves oatmeal bread.

And to Andy, who cooks oatmeal every morning without measuring.

I read a recipe for Oat Bread in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and a recipe for Vermont Oatmeal Maple-Honey Bread in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. This recipe is a fusion of the two. Partially because I discovered we were low on both honey and maple syrup (the main sweeteners in either-or) and partially because I am a crazy cook and tend to (read as "love to") wing it. The results are always mind-blowing... sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a not-so-good way. It's a risk I am willing to take.

What you need:

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup wheat bran

1 1/4 cups bread flour

Additional oats, wheat bran, and a pinch of sugar for a textured and beautiful top crust.

I used exactly those ingredients, but here are some optional swaps--

instead of 1 cup of warm milk use 1 cup of warm water

instead of 2 tablespoons of canola oil use 2 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter

instead of 1 1/4 cups bread flour use 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

What you do:

1. Start by proofing the yeast. Use the 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and yeast (obviously).
2. While the yeast proofs (10 minutes/until it is bubbling), combine the milk, honey, maple syrup, canola oil, and salt. Whisk together.
3. Slowly add the wheat flour, oats, and wheat bran. Mix.
4. Slowly add the bread flour, reserving 1/4 cup for kneading.
5. Knead for 5 minutes. Adding the full amount of bread flour is based on your judgement. Add as much as the dough will hold and still be a bit tacky.
6. Let the dough rise, covered for 1 hour or until doubled.
7. Shape the loaf and roll it into that oat, wheat bran, sugar mixture you had set aside for the top crust. The amount you add is up to you. How rustic do you like it?
8. Put it in a loaf pan, cover, and let it rise again 1 hour or until doubled.
9. Preheat the oven to 375° in the last 15/20 minutes of this second rise.
10. Bake for 45 minutes or until the bread pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan.

Eat to your health! Oatmeal bread seemed like a great follow-up bread for the Cinnamon Raisin Loaf because oats are a superfood. The smiling, white-haired Quaker man on the label of Quaker Oats promises a healthy heart and reduced cholesterol. I don't know if I totally trust him because what is his hair tucked into? His ears? How do you get a fold of hair like that when you aren't playing Martha Washington in a body of water?? From a source with a better hairstyle, research shows (according to David Grotto's book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life!) oats can help aid weight management as part of a nutritious, fiber-rich diet and oats+other whole grain intake can even help prevent type 2 diabetes. Plus, oats are soothing for almost any digestive ailment and externally, for itching/eczema (Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form suggesting you ever rub this bread on a mosquito bite).

This is superbread. Bake it and eat it in good health.

- Sarah

P.S. Here is what "cow face" kneading looks like.. I was trying to explain it in the whole wheat post. It even has a mouth (unintentional)!