Maple Oatmeal Bread

 There's not much I like better than a hearty, whole-grain slice of bread straight from the oven.  Add some soft melty butter and honey over the top and you may as well give me the rest of the loaf.  :)

This autumn inspired loaf filled our home with a maple aroma that had my mouth watering long before it was finished baking.  You'll want to make sure you add the flour and oats slowly until you get to the right consistency.  The first time I made it it was a tad too dry, but I've adjusted the recipe accordingly, so you  can go ahead as directed for a perfectly scrumptious loaf of Maple Oatmeal Bread.  Yum!

The ingredients:

 Click here for printable recipe. 

1-1/4 cup warm water (105-115°)
2 tsp. yeast
1 egg (room temperature)

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup real maple syrup (at room temperature)
1-1/2 tsp. maple extract
1-1/2 to 2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups old fashioned oats


Directions:
Combine water and yeast and allow to set for 5 minutes. Then add the egg, butter, maple syrup, salt, and maple extract. Mix well. Then add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and oats one cup at a time. (I added a cup of bread flour, then mixed well. Then a cup of whole wheat flour and mixed well. Then a cup of oats and mixed well.) Add the remaining flour slowly just until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the mixer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and towel and allow to rise until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes). Knead until smooth and shape into 8x3-inch log and place in buttered loaf pan. Allow to rise for about 45 minutes or until dough is slightly over the tops of the pan. Bake at 375° until deep golden brown (20-25 minutes). Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with butter and honey or allow to cool completely and slice into sandwich slices.

Enjoy!