Oatmeal Bread

Life is a funny thing sometimes. I'm in a weird place where there are days where I'll be running around like crazy. I'll be doing errands, and studying, and cooking and cleaning and working. Then I'll go through days where I feel like I wish I had more going on, more friends to hang out with, classes to go to. What is it about life that makes it like that? Unbalanced, almost.

This bread is good for all of those occasions. I'll have a piece plain and untoasted, while I'm running around first thing in the morning while I'm trying to make it to the doctors appointment. Or I'll eat a piece with butter and honey, enjoying a cup of tea, leisurely watching my second show on Netflix at 2 in the afternoon.

I hope you have a slow day where you have time to make this bread and that you get to enjoy this bread on the balanced days. When you have enough time to drink a second cup of coffee before you head to work then dinner with friends.

Oatmeal Bread

from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

• 3 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 packet rapid rise yeast (or regular yeast)
• 1 1/4 cup lukewarm milk

To Make:

1) Proof yeast in lukewarm milk until bubbly, about 10 minutes. In mixing bowl stir butter, salt, brown sugar, oatmeal and yeast/milk mixture. Stir in flour, one cup at a time until shaggy dough is formed. Knead for 5 min by machine or 10 minutes by hand on well-floured surface.

2) If you use rapid rise yeast, let it rest for 10 minutes, then form into loaf. Place in well-oiled loaf pan and let rise for 1 hour. If you're using regular yeast, let it rise in a bowl for an hour prior to forming into a loaf.

3) Preheat the oven to 350*F. Once loaf is risen, bake for 35-40 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped on. Remove from oven and let it cool on a rack. Will keep for 4 days.