Farmhouse Oatmeal Bread

Serves	Makes one 900g/2 lb loaf
Prep time	1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	1 hour, 40 minutes
Allergy	Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Soup, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A wonderful country style loaf made from oatmeal flour and white flour with crunchy jumbo oats on top! This bread is excellent for sandwiches and makes the most delectable toast, a treat if eaten dripping with melted fresh butter. The texture is light as well as being hearty and rustic. This bread is a great choice to serve with a ploughman’s lunch, cut the slices very thickly for the ideal “vehicle” for lifting the cheese and pickle to your mouth!

Ingredients

350g white oatmeal bread flour (Allinson oatmill)
300g strong white bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
25g butter
1 X 7g fast action dried yeast, or ½ ounce fresh yeast mixed with tepid water
1 teaspoon sugar
450ml tepid water
Milk
Jumbo oats

Directions

Step 1	Put both of the flours into a large bowl. Add the salt and rub the butter into the flour to combine. Add the sugar and the dried yeast. Pour the tepid water (and fresh yeast mixed with the water if using) into the bowl and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are combined and you have a rough dough ball.
Step 2	Tip the dough on to a floured board or work surface and knead with the heel of your hand, turning all the time, until the dough is smooth and elastic and not sticky – about 10 minutes.
Step 3	Grease a 900g (2 lb) bread tin and shape the kneaded dough into an oblong – ease the dough into the greased bread tin; brush the dough with milk and sprinkle the jumbo oats on top of the dough. Cover with an oiled plastic bag and place in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 4	Pre-heat the oven to 220C/400F or Gas 7. Remove the loaf from the plastic bag, and place into the hot oven on the middle shelf, immediately turning the heat down to 200C or gas 6. Bake the bread for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. (To test to see if the loaf is ready, upturn and tap the base - it should sound hollow.)
Step 5	Remove the loaf from the tin and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.