Oatmeal Bread

Stir together the boiling water, oats, brown sugar, molasses, salt, and oil in a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup. Let mixture cool until lukewarm (110℉), it will thicken slightly as the oats soak up the water.

In a large bowl, stir together 4 cups of flour and instant yeast. Add the oat mixture only once it has cooled to 110℉. Stir together to form a loose dough before turning onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for 7-10 minutes, adding flour as needed until the dough is smooth and just slightly tacky without sticking to your hands. Be careful not to add too much extra flour or the dough will become tough. ½-3/4 cup added is normal.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl that has been greased with oil, seam side down. Spead a little oil over the top of the dough and cover loosely with plastic wrap and then a dry towel and put in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Grease 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans with nonstick spray or butter. Once the dough has risen, punch down to deflate all air bubbles. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a loaf and place each loaf in each prepared pan. Cover each pan with plastic wrap and then a dry towel and put in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350℉ right before the loaves are done rising. Bake the risen loaves together on the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until browned on top and around the bottoms. Brush the loaves with a little melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven to add a glossy look and soften the crust. Let the loaves rest in their pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!