IRISH OAT BREAD “Kids seem to like it especially (perhaps because it’s somewhat sweet), and it has a very good flavor when toasted. It also makes a very homey sandwich with turkey and cranberry sauce.”
4 cups milk (1% or 2%)
1 cup uncooked McCann’s Irish Oats (steel-cut, long cooking type)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 pkg. standard dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
8 to 10 cups bread flour, divided use
Bring the milk to a low boil in a heavy saucepan and slowly stir in the oats. (Fresh milk tastes better, but reconstituted dry milk works also.) Turn heat to very low so that the oats barely simmer, cover and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are thick. Remove from heat and add the butter, brown sugar, and salt, stirring until the butter melts and everything mixes. Set aside and cool to lukewarm. (If you don’t like or can’t get steel-cut oats, substitute 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or even 7-grain cereal instead and don’t cook it; just mix it into the scalded milk.)
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
Empty cooled oats mixture into bowl of heavy-duty mixer with the paddle blade attached, or into a large mixing bowl if your biceps need work. Add the dissolved yeast and mix at low speed to blend. Stop mixer and add 2 cups of flour and mix at low speed to blend. Continue adding flour with the paddle until the mixture becomes too thick to mix well, then change to the dough hook. Add enough of the flour, gradually, until the mixture is nicely kneaded and cleans the bowl well. The dough should still be soft and a bit sticky, but not excessively so, and hold its shape well. (Sorry I’m vague about the flour, but I mostly eyeball it and then feel it). When the dough is well kneaded, place it in a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise until double in bulk.
Punch it down and place it on a lightly floured board, kneading lightly. Divide into thirds and shape into 3 loaves, placing them in well-buttered loaf pans (medium pans typically work best, perhaps 8 1/2-inch pans). Let rise in the pans (covered with plastic wrap) until double, preheating the oven to 375 degrees F toward the end of the period.
When fully double, bake for about 45 to 50 minutes until nicely browned and crusty. Let cool as long as you can stand it, although it’s very good warm.
NOTES:Any oats near the crust have a tendency to imitate buckshot; you may wish to brush the top with butter toward the end of baking or add a topping of rolled oats or other grains to help cut down on this. Actually, I kind of enjoy it as long as the bread doesn’t overbake so that you risk dental work.
From: GardenWeb
Source:
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella