Honey Whole Wheat & Oat Bread

Ok, so there is a reason I don't post bread recipes very often.  If I make it, I eat it.  Home Made Bread is just one of those things that I can't say no to, so my poor family suffers because I will only make bread like twice a year!  I've been eyeing this recipe for about 2 months now because one of the main ingredients is Oatmeal.  No, not oats, oatmeal!  You actually boil water, stick the oats in and let it cook into oatmeal, and then you add it to your recipe.  It's awesome!  And its sweetened with Honey, not sugar.  AND its wheat!  You can actually do half wheat, half white, and it turns out awesome too!  This recipe comes from a friend of mines sisters friend,  Julia! So to a fabulous Friday and eating bread!

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
½ c. milled flax seed
3 Tbsp yeast
8-9 c whole wheat flour (you can use ½ white if you like as well)
½ c. honey
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp olive oil

Oatmeal:
Before you begin, boil 4 cups of water (do not add salt) and once it boils, add 2 cups of oatmeal.  Turn off heat and stir well.  Let oatmeal cool to luke warm before beginning recipe.

Yeast:
Once oatmeal has cooled, mix 3 Tbsp yeast and 1 tsp sugar with 1 cup warm water in a small bowl to proof the yeast.  Let it rise while adding other ingredients to the mixer.

Mixer:

Add oatmeal first, then ½ c. honey, 1 tsp baking soda, 4 tsp salt, ½ c. milled flax seed, 5 Tbsp olive oil.  Add yeast (once proofed) and two cups of whole wheat flour before beginning to mix.  Turn on mixer, and continue to add flour gradually, one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the walls…(usually 8-9 cups total.)  Use whatever ratio of wheat to white you like, but bread flour works best if you decide to use white flour too.  Mix well for a few minutes or until dough begins pulling away from the sides and is “tacky” to the touch but not really sticky.  Remove the mixing blade, cover the dough, and allow it to rise (usually about an hour).  Once dough has risen, divide it evenly into three equal loaves and knead on a floured surface to make three loaves.  Put into greased bread pan and let rise again (about 30-45 minutes).  Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Once out of the oven, butter the tops of the bread and allow it to rest for 10 minutes in the pan before removing the bread onto a cooling rack.  Enjoy!