Renee ~ I was hoping you would pass this on to Maureen. She asked me for it at the Hoot. Had a great time, by the way! Great to see everyone!!!!
Bread - Makes 2 loaves
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
1/2 Cup honey
1 Cup rolled oats
1/2 Cup powdered milk
2 Cups boiling water
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1/2 C lukewarm water (for proofing yeast)
2 tsp leaf sage
1 tsp leaf marjoram
1/2 tsp caraway seed
6 Cups flour (approximately)
Combine salt, butter, honey, powdered milk, oats, sage, marjoram & caraway seeds in a large bowl (I usually combine dry ingredients first, then add the butter & honey). Add the boiling water and stir thoroughly. Let sit for about 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally as the butter melts.
In a separate bowl (or measuring cup) sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water (100-110 degrees) to proof - let stand for 5-10 minutes. Yeast should foam up and double in size (if it doesn’t, the yeast is not active and should not be used). I add a smidge of flour or sugar to the water - helps the yeast activate. Stir yeast into water until thoroughly dissolved and add to oat mixture.
Add flour 1 cup at a time. You can use whole wheat or white. I usually use a mixture of both - 2 cups ww, 4 cups white. Mix thoroughly. When mixture is no longer very sticky and becomes too heavy to stir with a spoon, mix by hand. You can turn the dough out onto a floured board at this point. Add flour until bread no longer gets sticky after kneading. Consistency should be smooth and dough should be balled up, but not dry. Pour a bit of vegetable oil in the bowl and coat the sides. Place ball of dough in bowl and turn ball so that dough is lightly covered with oil. Cover bowl lightly with plastic wrap and place a kitchen towel over all. Let stand for about 2 hours. Dough should double in size - placing the dough in a warm, sunny area helps the process.
Punch the dough down and reform a ball, give a quick kneading to remove air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and flatten each half out a bit. Form each piece into a loaf taking care to make sure there are no air bubbles - roll the loaf and pinch the ends down and under the loaf. Place, seam side down, in lightly greased loaf pans (not glass). Cover once again with the plastic and towel. Allow to rise again - approximately 1-1 1/2 hours. Check regularly so that loaves do not overflow the pans. Loaves should be raised a little bit above the edges of the pan - they will continue to rise after being put in the oven to bake.
Meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes. To test bread for doneness, it should be golden brown and should sound a low “thump” when patted on top. Immediately remove from pans and allow to cool on a rack for at least 1/2 hour before cutting.
For a darker bread, substitute molasses for honey. For a less savory bread, leave out the sage, marjoram and caraway. For breakfast bread, leave out those same spices and add 1 cup of raisins or currants and 1 tsp of cinnamon.
Bread baking is good for the soul! Enjoy!
