Backstory
I generally hate sugary breads. Sugar in general in breads. But I had only a little time to get something together for two parties, so I gave it a shot. The second bread didn’t work, in the sense that I was looking for a multi-colored swirl or turducken effect. When I get it down, I’ll post it here. But the first bread was delicious, and it goes wonderfully with red wine, butter, or PBJ, depending on circumstances. I’m presuming y’all have a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook, otherwise the mixing step will be 10 minutes instead of the 3 with the machine. (All hail American ingenuity!)
Ingredients
- 5C Flour [unbleached whole]
- 1T Salt
- 2T yeast with 1T sugar in 1C warm water
- 1/2C oatmeal
- 1/2C maple syrup
- 1/3C Almond oil
Preparation
- Mix all the dry ingredients, reserving 2C flour, while the yeast proofs in a bowl. When it has, add it and the wet ingredients to the mix.
- Add the remaining 2C flour slowly, until the dough is tacky but stays in a ball.
- Grease a bowl, put dough ball in it, then grease the entire dough.
- Cover and let rise 35 minutes.
- Punch down thoroughly, shape into a loaf and put into greased dish or pan in which it will bake (9″x9″ casserole dish works well). Set oven to 350° and put covered dough on top of stove. Let rise 25 minutes.
- Put dough in oven.
- For crispier crust, put a cast-iron pan into the oven when you heat it up. Then, after the bread’s in the oven, pour 2C boiling water into the cast-iron pan and close the door quickly.
- Bake for 40 minutes.