Fresh Bread: White Honey Oat Loaf
I love bread, you love bread, Oprah loves bread… who doesn’t love fresh bread? But loving a freshly baked loaf doesn’t mean you are genetically inclined with an instinct to bake it. Therefore my next question is: “who needs a genetic instinct when you can follow a recipe?”
Everyone can bake, so long as you 1. Can read, 2. Pay attention to directions, and 3. Have a little patience, or something else to distract you during the wait time. The wait is worth it, especially when the fragrance of freshly baked, golden brown, yeasty goodness wafts through the house.
You’ll need a food processor, spice or coffee grinder for this recipe. The fresh oat flour creates a springy texture and lightly nutty flavor, so don’t skip it! This recipe uses a Dutch oven, and parchment paper for a hand shaped load. It can also be baked in 2 loaf pans lined with parchment, for the duration of the cooking time at a single temperature of 375 degrees F.
FRESH WHITE HONEY OAT BREAD
3 cups AP flour
1 cup whole oats
2 teaspoons. fine kosher salt,
1 packet active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
2 Tablespoons honey
additional honey for drizzling
additional kosher salt for sprinkling
1 tsp. olive oil
1. Bloom the yeast: Add the yeast to the warm water, stir in the honey, and let sit for 8-10 minutes until foamy and frothy.
2. Make the oat flour: Pulse the oats into a food processor (or spice or coffee grinder) until they are finely ground into the powdery consistency of flour, approximately 1 minute or so.
3. Mix the dough: Combine the AP flour, fresh oat flour, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Pour the bloomed yeast water mixture, scraping everything off the bottom, into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on to medium speed. Mix for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
4. Let it proof: Shape the dough into a ball, and place back into the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or paper towel, and follow with a covering of plastic wrap. Let the dough rest and rise for 3-4 hours at room temperature.
5. Shape the dough, and let it rise for another 1 hour: Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, place the dough ball onto the paper, and gently knead 2-3 times. Shape the dough into an oval or round with the seam folded on the bottom of the loaf. Cover the shaped loaf with the damp towel, lay the plastic wrap over the top and allow to rest for another hour.
6. Preheat the oven & Dutch Oven: about 30 minutes after the loaf is shaped and resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the oven rack into the center of the oven, and place the Dutch oven covered with lid into the oven to heat up.
7. Season the loaf: Brush olive oil over the top of the dough loaf. Drizzle a very light line of honey back and forth over top of the whole loaf, and then sprinkle a pinch (or 2) of salt over top.
8. Transfer the loaf to the Dutch oven: Very carefully remove the lid (it’s hot!), lift the loaf using the parchment paper, and drop straight into the center of the Dutch oven, paper and all.
9. Place the lid on to the Dutch oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
10. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees F. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven, and continue to bake the loaf uncovered for 15-20 more minutes. The loaf is done when the internal temperature registers 200 degrees F on an inserted instant-read thermometer.
11. Cool the bread: place the bread loaf on a wire rack to cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to slicing.