Steel-Cut Oat Bread
rec.food.cooking/Mari Robinson/1991
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, with slight modifications for
nutritional and textural improvement)

Combine in mixing bowl:
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 c blackstrap molasses
1 Tbsp melted butter
3/4 tsp salt (can be omitted)

Pour over this:
2 cups boiling water

Stir in:
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup stoneground whole-wheat flour

Let stand for 10-15 minutes to cool to at least lukewarm.

Meanwhile, dissolve:
1 Tbsp (1 packet or cake) yeast
in 3/4 cup lukewarm water

When oat mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add yeast mixture and stir well.

Work in:
1 cup stoneground whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour (optional:
1 cup raisins or 1 cup chopped nuts or 1/2 cup of each (best)

Turn out on floured board and knead (adding flour only if necessary) until smooth and elastic. Let rise in oiled bowl until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and shape into a loaf to fit in a 5x9 loaf pan. Put in greased loaf pan and let rise again until doubled.

Pat down until dough is level with top of pan. Bake at 375 F until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (about 40 minutes). Best when eaten hot with butter and jam :-)