Yankee Oatmeal-Molasses Bread

Yankee Oatmeal-Molasses Bread

Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 1994

For bread:
1/2 cup packed old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup warm water
1 envelope dry yeast
6 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

For glaze:
1 tablespoon melted butter mixed with 1 teaspoon light unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside.

Mix 1/2 cup oats with 3/4 cup boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes.

In the meantime, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add molasses, 2 tablespoons butter and salt to the oat mixture in bowl. Mix in dissolved yeast. Add enough flour, 1 cup at a time, to form medium-soft dough, mixing at medium speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if dough is too sticky, about 5 minutes.

Form dough into ball. Butter a large bowl; add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then with a towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead for 3 minutes. Form into loaf and transfer to prepared pan. Cover with plastic, then towel; let rise in warm draft-free area until dough has risen about 1/2 inch above rim of pan, about 45 minutes.

Bake bread 10 minutes; then reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake 25 minutes longer. Brush top of bread with glaze; sprinkle 1 tablespoon oats over. Bake until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 10 minutes longer.

Transfer to rack; cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out bread onto rack; cool completely.