Irish Oatmeal Bread

Steel Cut Oatmeal makes for a wonderful, satisfying, warm-you-to-your-toes, breakfast.  The 1 cup of dry oats, however, cooks into far more than I can eat in one sitting, and if I'm the only one partaking on any particular day I have leftovers.  My Great Aunt Betty makes oatmeal and reheats it for a day or two afterward, which I have successfully done, but with the return of winter-like weather to our soggy San Diego coastline I found myself reteating to the kitchen to bake.  

Oatmeal Bread is one of our family favorites, and the addition of the leftover steel cut oats gives this loaf a slightly nubby texture.  Without giving me a chance to even get a single photograph my husband hardly let this loaf cool before he sliced it up and followed me into the laundry room with a couple of toasted pieces saying, "Wow... this bread is awesome, I meal absolutely awesome!  We should have it more often."

Toasted and slathered with butter or topped with sweet honey (we have some special Macadamia Hawaiian Honey from Felice, All That's Left are the Crumbs, that we have been rationing!) this oatmeal bread with added flax meal gives not only a dose of fiber and nutrition, but a delightful flavor.  The loaf does not last long, and I'm here to say it makes a darn good PBJ as well!

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On a side note, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Monet, of Anecdotes and Apple Cores.  Her sister's family has been in a tragic auto accident and our prayers for them continue. 

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Irish Oatmeal Bread

1/2 cup water

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 egg

2 Tbs butter

1/4 cup milk (I use skim)

3/4 cup prepared Irish Oatmeal

1 Tbs brown sugar (may use 2 or 3 for sweeter bread)

1 tsp salt

3 Tbs ground flax meal

3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer mix together the water and yeast.  Add the egg, butter, milk, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt and flax meal and mix until combined.  Add 1 cup of flour and combine.  Add 1 cup more and combine.  Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl.  Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, adding flour as necessary.

Place the kneaded dough into a greased bowl and cover, allowing it to rise until about doubled in size, about an hour depending on the temp of your house.  (Tip... if your house is very cool, heat a mug of water in the microwave until boiling.  Leave the mug in the microwave and place the covered bowl with the dough in the microwave and the heat from the mug will heat the microwave to a good dough rising temp!)

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place dough into an 8½ x 4½-inch greased loaf pan.  Cover the pan, and let rise until a little less than double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.