Making bread is an art that many people would love to master, but do not seem to have the patience for. Using a KitchenAid mixer greatly increases your chances of making the perfect loaf of bread. The mixer does all of the kneading for you, and provided that you learn a few basics about making bread your bread will turn out fool proof every time.
This bread is great for holidays and the perfect accompaniment for a turkey dinner. The soft sweet texture and flavor of this bread make it perfect for turkey sandwich leftovers. This recipe makes two loaves of bread.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of instant oatmeal
- 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 1 package of instant rapid rise yeast
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 egg beaten
- Approximately 5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup honey
- Extra oatmeal for coating
Instructions:
Pour instant oatmeal into mixer bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over the top of the oats. Let mixture stand for at least 15 minutes or until lukewarm. (This step is important. If the oats are too hot they will kill the yeast. Feel the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the oats are properly cooled before proceeding.)
Dissolve yeast by adding it to 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Once the oats have cooled down enough, add honey, butter, egg, salt, yeast, and water.
Start the mixer on low to combine all the ingredients. Start adding flour a cup at a time until the dough starts to form a ball. Decrease the amount of flour added as the dough starts to form into ball, only adding a small amount at a time and waiting a minute in between additions. This dough will be stickier than most bread dough due to the oatmeal and honey so do not expect it to clean the sides of the bowl or not stick to your hands. It is important to not add too much flour, just add enough so the dough forms into a ball while kneading.
Turn mixer up to 2 and let knead for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes and knead one more time for a minute. Remove dough from the mixer bowl and place in an oiled bowl. Turn dough to cover with oil, and then cover with a clean dry dishtowel.
Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled. Press your finger to the dough to see if it is ready, if the indent remains from your finger it is ready for the next step.
Press dough down and divide into two equal portions. Knead dough to remove all air bubbles, but do not add any flour when you do, the dough should remain soft and sticky.
Shape each piece of dough into a loaf and roll in the extra oats to coat. Place loaves on a greased baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise for about 30 minutes until the loaves have doubled in size.
Place in a preheated oven of 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the loaves start to brown too quickly because of the oats and honey, cover with foil and continue cooking until done. Remove from sheets and place on racks to cool.
