If you don’t have time to prepare porridge oats for breakfast or snacks, this bread is the next healthy choice. The recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats to produce a flavorful crumb and dark raisins to provide the bread a burst of flavor. The added brown sugar, oil and milk make the bread tender, moist and slightly sweet. Dried fruits like cranberries, apples and apricots work well in this recipe too.
KEY TOOLS/EQUIPMENT:
- Oven – preheat to 350°F
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Digital kitchen scale
- Small saucepan
- 9 x 5 inch loaf pan – greased
- Spray bottle
- Small glass bowl
- Large glass bowl – lightly greased
OATMEAL RAISIN BREAD:
- Servings: 3
- Cooking Time: 45M
- Difficulty: Easy
INGREDIENTS: (All measurements are by weight except TBS and tsp.)
- 11¼ oz bread flour
- 3⅖ oz old fashioned rolled oats
- 2⅗ oz dark raisins
- 2 oz whole wheat flour
- 2 tsps instant or rapid rise yeast
- 1½ tsps salt
- 2 oz canola oil
- 1⅘ oz nonfat dry milk
- 1¾ oz brown sugar
- 14 oz water
DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1:
OATS: Combine 8 oz water and oats in a saucepan, cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir and simmer until oats are softened. Set aside and allow to cool.
STEP 2:
DOUGH: Combine bread flour, wheat flour, dry milk, yeast and salt in the stand mixer bowl, whisk. Combine 6 oz water, brown sugar and canola oil in a medium bowl, whisk. Mix at low speed by slowly adding the water mixture into the flour mixture for about 2 minutes or until dough becomes cohesive.
STEP 3:
Turn to medium low and knead for about 6 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Reduce speed to low, add raisins first then add oatmeal. Knead for about 3 more minutes.
STEP 4:
Knead for about 30 seconds using the stretch and fold method, form the dough into a smooth ball, and transfer to a lightly greased large glass bowl seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until nearly doubled its size. Deflate to remove large air bubbles.
STEP 5:
Turn the dough into a lightly floured surface. Press and stretch dough into an 8 x 6 inch rectangle. Roll into a firm cylinder, pinch seam with your fingers to close. Place into a well greased loaf pan seam side down. Cover with greased plastic and allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the dough is 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
STEP 6:
Spray loaf with water and bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes with the oven rack at lower-middle position. (This bread can brown quickly, tent lightly with foil if necessary).
STEP 7:
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let the bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Unmold from the pan and let cool completely.