Oatmeal Bread

I found this recipe on the back of a bag of King Arthur Bread Flour.  This is the first bread recipe I've tried from King Arthur, and the first one I've ever used oatmeal or raisins in.  I think it is going to be every bit as good as they said!  My husband has already tried some and given it his stamp of approval.  King Arthur describes it as a tender, high rising bread that makes wonderful sandwiches and great toast.  I would have to agree, it seems just right, and I can't wait to try it for my breakfast toast.

Oatmeal Bread

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

2 teaspoons instant yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk

3/4 cup raisins or currants (optional)

If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients.

• In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough.  Knead dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (5 minutes) till it's smooth.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow it to rise for one hour.  It will become puffy, although it may not double in bulk.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, and shape it into a log.  Place the log in a lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's crested 1 to 2 inches over the rim of the pan.
• Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F.  If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes of baking.
  

Here is what the dough looked like after kneading, but before any rising.

As you can see, I added the optional raisins.  I used fat free milk, since that's what I had on hand.  I let the bread rise for the full 1 1/2 hours the second time.  I mixed the dough in my Cuisinart food processor and kneaded it by hand.  You may want to oil your hands and work surface lightly before kneading, this dough seemed very sticky to me at first and that helped keep me from adding too much flour during kneading and shaping.
Yummy!