I’ve been making my own bread for some time now. I suppose using a bread machine the way I do is “cheating” somehow according to some people. Don’t care. All I know is that the results can be amazingly good. Even better, we know exactly what’s in that loaf when it’s done. We haven’t bought bread at the store since we started doing it some three or four years ago.
Anyway, this one, an oatmeal bread, has become our favorite here. It’s simple, has great texture and flavor and is even relatively healthy. We’ve been going through about 2 loaves of this stuff a week since I discovered this recipe.
So here it is:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup quick cooking oats (we’ve been using standard rolled oats with good results, not the ‘quick cooking’ kind)
2 1/3 cup unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast.
This is about as simple as bread can get, and the results I’ve been getting are excellent. I put in the ingredients into the machine in the order listed, but your machine may want something different. Just follow its instructions.
And yes, that’s a Hello Kitty toaster sitting there. I originally bought that to irritate the family and make then question my sanity, which is always great fun. The strange thing is that it’s turned out to be the best toaster we’ve ever had.
grouchyfarmer 