Over the last twenty years I have given birth to a small nation. We have a special word for a standard size loaf of bread at our house; we call it a
hors d'oeuvre.
Sometimes you just want something a little bigger and here it is. This recipe makes what I refer to as a Family Size Loaf of Bread. You will need a 10x5 bread pan.
This is a yummy sweet loaf of bread with a light and moist texture. My family loves it warm, sliced thick with butter. It is an excellent companion to a bowl of soup.
Before making this or any other yeast bread recipe on this site please read Terms to know and Making Yeast Breads.
Honey Rolled Oat Loaf
Makes 1 *Family Size loaf
Bake in a 10x5 Loaf Pan
Pre-heat oven to 425
Bake at 325 35-40 minutes
Biga 3 Cup Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp Yeast
1 1/4 Cup Water Room Temperature
Soaker 2 Cup Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Freshly Rolled Oats
1 Cup Milk, Scalded and cooled
Final Dough All of Biga
All of Soaker
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Honey
3 Tbsp Butter
Twiced Pressed Oats for Top of loaf
#1 Cut the Biga and the Soaker in to pieces and add to the bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the pre-doughs, add the salt, honey, and butter. Knead together to thoroughly incorporate, four to five minutes. Knead an additional 10 minutes.
*Note- the dough will go through a series of changes. It will seem somewhat firm at first and very quickly turn wet and shaggy. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR. You are working with a hydrated dough, it will be wet and soft. Use a bowl scraper to lift the dough and bring it back to you. The dough will become more organized as the gluten becomes organized. Trust me on this.
#2 Autolyse -Allow the dough to rest for no less than twenty-five minutes. The gluten will rest and the dough will soak in more moisture. You will notice an extreme difference in the texture of your dough after this resting period. If you have the time allow a 30 minute autolyse.
#3 Knead the dough a second time. The dough will be noticeably different during this step of the process. Although the dough will be sticky and shaggy it will not be as extreme as the first kneading cycle. Knead for seven to ten minutes. The dough will come together into a springy ball.
*Do the window pane test to make sure the gluten is completely developed. If not knead for an additional three minutes and test again.
#4 Fermentation - Allow the dough to rest and rise double as it ferments. This is an important step that helps develop flavor and gives the final loaf great texture.
#5 Shape and proof.
I use my microwave as a proofing box, it works great. Bring a small bowl of water to a boil in the microwave. Place the shaped loaf of bread in the microwave with the door closed. The warm moist enviornment mimicks a proofing box found in a bakery.
Starch Wash sprinkle w/ rolled oats for the final proof.