Oatmeal Honey Bread

You know that expression, sweet as honey?  Well, this isn't that sweet.  It makes a good sandwich bread, though.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/3 cups plus 1 Tablespoon (TBS) water, divided

¼ cup honey

2 TBS butter

1 cup whole wheat flour 

1 cup all purpose flour (plus about 4 TBS to add while mixing)

1 cup plus 1 TBS old-fashioned oats, divided

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 & 1/3 cups water, honey and butter in small saucepan over low heat until honey dissolves and butter melts.  Remove from heat and cool to 130 degrees F.

I use a stand mixer because I don't want to knead dough by hand, especially sticky dough like this. Attach the flat beater to a stand mixer.  Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup oats, 1 cup whole wheat flour, yeast and salt in mixer bowl. Add water mixture; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add additional flour by tablespoonfuls until the dough starts to come together. This dough should be very sticky, not dry.  

Replace the flat beater with dough hook; knead on low 4 minutes. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased bowl; turning to grease the top.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes or until doubled. 

Spray an 8x4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Punch that dough down as if you were at the Academy Awards and someone just insulted your wife; then turn it out onto a floured surface. Flatten and stretch the dough into an 8-in-long oval. Bring the sides together lengthwise and pinch to seal. Now pinch the short ends over themselves to seal. Place the dough seam side down in prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place 20 or 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Beat egg and remaining 1 TBS water in a small bowl. Brush the top of the loaf with egg mixture; sprinkle remaining 1 TBS oats on top. Use a light touch when spreading the egg on top, this isn't the time to punch.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove bread from the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.