KS Quotient
Super Easy: Easily mixed, readily available ingredients. No hand-shaping.
This homey, fairly compact loaf looks unremarkable but makes excellent toast, and is also nice for snacking or making a slightly unusual but pleasing peanut butter sandwich. I think of it as a good everyday bread, because it can be mixed together quickly and calls for ingredients normally on hand. I also like the fact that the loaf is not overloaded with sugar and doesn't contain a lot of fat. Plus, the oats add not only body and flavor, but also fiber and nutrients. For a slightly more nutritious bread, I often incorporate whole wheat flour into the dough; see the end of the recipe. (Note that this variation will rise a little more slowly and will be slightly denser than the original.)
Because this dough includes cinnamon, which contains a yeast-inhibiting chemical, the recipe calls for slightly more yeast than normal.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 15 slices
2¾ cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons table salt
1¼ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
½ cup clover honey or other mild honey
2 tablespoons corn oil or canola oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan
1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if needed
1 cup dark raisins, rinsed under warm water, then drained well and patted dry
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for garnish
First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides and mixing to blend well. If the dough is stiff, stir in enough more ice water to soften it slightly; the dough should not be dry or overly stiff, as the oats draw up moisture. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Let rise at cool room temperature (about 70°F) for 12 to 18 hours.
Second Rise Stir the dough vigorously, adding in the raisins until evenly incorporated. Stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir consistency. Using an oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center all the way around; this organizes the gluten for shaping the dough into a loaf. Invert the dough into a generously greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Brush or spray the top with oil, then using an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips, smooth out the surface and press the dough evenly into the pan. Using a well-oiled serrated knife or kitchen shears, make a ½-inch-deep slash lengthwise down the loaf. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1 ½- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. When the dough nears the plastic, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends ¼ inch above the pan rim. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar garnish over the top.
Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
Baking Bake on the lower rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned. Cover with foil, and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes more. Begin testing occasionally with a skewer inserted in the thickest part, until it comes out with slightly moist particles clinging to the end (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack; cool thoroughly.
TipIf you are in a hurry to get the loaf in the oven, after the cup of hot water initially placed in the microwave cools, replace it with more boiling water halfway through to keep the interior a very "yeast-friendly" 80-plus°F for the entire rising period.
Serving and StoringServe cool, or toasted; the bread doesn't slice well until completely cooled. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
Instead of 2¾ cups white bread flour, use 1¾ cups white bread flour (plus more if needed) and 1 cup whole wheat flour.
