Whole-Grain Oat Bread

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Bulghur wheat -- wheat grains without the bran that have been steamed,dried, and crushed -- gives this bread a slightly nutty flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup steel-cut oats

  • 2 cups boiling water

  • cup bulghur wheat

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • ½ cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)

  • 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse salt

  • 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • Unsalted butter, room temperature, for bowl and pan

  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, cover steel-cut oats with the boiling water. Let stand until room temperature. Stir in bulghur wheat and honey; set aside.

  2. Place the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the reserved oat mixture with the yeast mixture, whole-wheat flour, and salt. Add the all-purpose flour until the dough is tacky, but not sticky. Continue kneading about 5 minutes more.

  4. Place dough in a buttered bowl, and cover with buttered plastic wrap directly on the surface. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.

  5. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface; form into a loaf about 9 inches long. Lightly mist with water; sprinkle with rolled oats. Place in a well-buttered 9-by-5-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan; let stand until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a serrated knife, slash top of loaf lengthwise down center. Place immediately in oven. Bake until nicely browned and cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove from pan; let cool on a wire rack.

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