Whole-Wheat Oat Bread

(10)
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 round loaf

This hearty round loaf is made with rolled oats, plus healthful whole-wheat flour. Molasses gives it a hint of sweetness. Try it at breakfast, toasted and spread with jam, or at lunch, with sliced turkey and cheddar. Martha made this recipe on "Martha Bakes" episode 811.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats

  • 1 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

  • ¼ cup powdered nonfat dry milk

  • ¼ cup unsulfured molasses

  • 1 envelope (¼ ounce) active dry yeast

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

  • Safflower oil, for brushing

  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, bring water just to a simmer. Pour the water over 1 cup oats in a bowl. Stir in molasses; let stand until mixture cools to warm, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor coarsely grind 1/2 cup rolled oats. Transfer to bowl; add both flours and dry milk.

  2. Sprinkle oat-molasses mixture with yeast. Stir in 1 cup flour mixture, and then the salt. Stir in remaining flour mixture, 1 cup at a time.

  3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Using floured hands, knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Loosely cover with plastic wrap; let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 hour. Punch down dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough once or twice. Flatten into a 9-inch circle.

  4. Pull edges of dough up and in toward center; pinch to seal. Turn dough over. Pull down on dough with cupped hands to stretch top; pinch edges at bottom. Wrap hands around sides of dough; rotate to shape into a tight ball, 5 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 3/4 inches high. Place on oiled baking sheet, seam side down. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until dough doubles in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Score an "X" in top of dough. Brush with egg white; sprinkle remaining oats. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

    molasses oat bread
    Jonathan Lovekin
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