Oat Bread

This recipe makes a somewhat dense but delicious loaf that's great for toast and sandwiches. It's a tad crumbly but the slices do hold together well enough to hold toppings/sandwich fillings. All the grains make it tasty and also healthy!


Oat Bread (adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Note: The recipe below is with my adaptations; alternate choices from the recipe (like substituting milk for water) are listed in parentheses.

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1 additional cup warm water (or milk)
1/4 cup sorghum (or honey)
2 T canola oil (or softened butter)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten (optional)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup mixed wheat germ and cracked wheat (or wheat bran)
2-3 cups bread flour
half-and-half

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and set aside until foamy, 10 minutes.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup warm water, sorghum, oil, and salt. Stir in the yeast, then add the vital wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and wheat. Beat in the bread flour in several additions until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Then knead 5 minutes, adding bread flour as needed to obtain a dough that is just slightly tacky to the touch.

3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Punch down, shape into a loaf, and then press into an oiled 5x9 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise about 35 minutes, until the dough is above the rim of the pan.

4. Preheat the oven in the last 15 minutes of rising to 375 degrees. Brush the top of the loaf with half-and-half. Bake in the 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until bread is well-browned and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom of the loaf.