Oatmeal in My Bread

I bake bread about every other day. I like to keep things interesting which means I experiment a lot. I have to admit that some days I do better than others. However, no matter how the recipe turns out, my home always smells great when a loaf is baking in the oven. I find that to be very therapeutic and soothing.



I use to buy my children's bread but then I realized that they always asked to eat my homemade gluten-free bread instead. I finally stopped buying it. It does mean that I bake more often but I feel good about the trade-off. The smell of warm bread immediately attracts them to the kitchen, a central place in our home. In a way, bread binds our family together.

I often start my bread in the breadmachine and then it bakes in the oven. I like this process better. The bread bakes evenly and the slices don't have the unfortunate indentations caused by the paddles.

This Oatmeal Bread has a nice earthy flavor and the texture is sturdy but not overly so. It's wonderful straight out of the oven or toasted the next day.



Gluten Free Oatmeal Bread (makes one loaf)
If you are not concerned about gluten or wheat, you can omit the xantham gum and use 1 cup all-purpose, plus 2 cups whole-wheat white flour instead of the GF flour.


1 1/2 cups soymilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 cup GF rolled oats
3 cups All Purpose GF flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Mix)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons xantham gum
1 tablespoon yeast

optional topping:
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
GF rolled oats

Method# 1:
Put the ingredients in your breadmachine according to your manifacturer's instructions. Use the basic dough cycle. Remove when done and transfer to pre-oiled loaf pan. Cover with a clean towel and let rise again (at least 20 minutes). Preheat oven to 375F. Paint the egg wash on the top of the bread. Sprinkle some rolled oats and bake for 45-50 minutes. The bread should be nice and golden and sound hollow when bottom is tapped. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Method# 2:
In a small bowl mix the soymilk, agave nectar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add oil, vinegar to yeast mixture and mix well.
In the bowl of a mixer mix together the oats, flour, xantham, and salt. Add the liquid mixture little by little while mixing until well combined. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until almost doubled in size. Transfer to a pre-oiled loaf pan and let rise for at least 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F. Paint the egg wash on top of the bread and sprinkle the rolled oats. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. The bread should be nice and golden and sound hollow when bottom is tapped. Let cool slightly before slicing.



Artsy-Foodie's Tip:
If you are not going to use the GF bread the same day you bake it, cut some slices and freeze them. As it ages, gluten free bread tends to get crumbly. Freezing it ensures that the texture will be perfect every time you warm up a slice.






Another tasty bread recipe:
Almost Challah