Oatmeal Flax Bread

My house guest from last week left me an eighth container of quick-cooking oats when she moved out. When I saw it, my brain went wild with all the possibilities. I could make oatmeal cookies, crisps, raspberry bars, coffee cake, muffins, etc. I don't stock up oatmeal for this reason. I would go crazy baking stuff - turning healthy food into not so healthy but super yummy baked goods.

I decided to make bread. Honey Oatmeal Bread.



The problem was that I didn't have enough oatmeal. I didn't have honey, applesauce or instant mash potato flakes. And I wasn't going out to buy them just for this loaf of bread. So I followed the recipe as much as I could with things I had in the apartment. I replaced honey with Agave nectar, skipped apple sauce and potato flakes, upped the amount of liquid and added flax seeds. The bread came out super soft with beautiful thin crust and full of flavor - as a result of 3/4 stick of butter and lots of sweetener. I flopped the whole batch into a loaf pan and it rose way above the rim which resulted in funny looking loaf. I'll have to divide the dough next time and make a few rolls out of it.



Ingredients

• 8 oz. warm water


• 3 oz. quick cooking oats


• 1 1/2 oz. flax seeds


• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast


• 2 oz. Agave nectar


• 3 oz. melted butter


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 5 oz. bread flour plus more for kneading and shaping


• 4 1/2 oz. white whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Soak oats and flax seeds in warm water for 20 minutes.


2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is wet.


3. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Rest the dough a couple of times between kneading. Add more flour if the dough is too wet. By the end, the dough should be springy and smooth.


4. Let the dough rise in a clean and greased bowl. Cover tightly with a plastic wrap. For about 1 1/2 to two hours until the dough doubles in bulk.


5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Lightly stretch it out and fold into third onto itself to form a loaf shape. Crimp shut the seams.


6. Let rise again in a greased loaf pan for about 1 1/2 hours until the dough domes above the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.


7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 15 minutes before the dough is ready. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool for about 1 hour before cutting.