THE HIGHER TASTE

Honey Oatmeal Bread.

Ingredients.
2 c. boiling water
1 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. warm water
2 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. dry yeast (2 pkg.)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. whole wheat flour
5 c. all-purpose flour

Preparation.
In a large bowl, combine oatmeal and boiling water. Set aside.

To a small bowl, add warm water - test it on your wrist. It should be no warmer than a baby's bottle. Any hotter and your yeast won't do its trick! Add the yeast and the honey to the warm water. Set aside 5-10 min.

While you're waiting, add the butter to the oatmeal. The residual heat should melt it right in. Add brown sugar and salt to oatmeal. Before you add the yeast mixture, test that the bottom of the bowl is not too hot. (You'll kill the yeast and end up with flatbreads.) If it is too hot, add an ice cube or two to cool it down.

Once the oatmeal mixture is cool enough, add the yeast mixture to it. Then start working in the flour. Add enough flour to create a smooth elastic dough, not so sticky as to get your fingers all gooey.

Oil a large bowl, or spray it with nonstick. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Flip it upside down. (So the top of your resting dough is now shiny with oil.) Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch down. (Just pow a punch right in the middle of that puffy dough.) Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into two equal portions. Form them into kind of loaf-like shapes and place into loaf pans. Cover again and let rise again until doubled, or about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.