Baking Oatmeal Bread with a Sourdough Starter (alternatives given)

In today's blog we are going the healthy route, baking an Oatmeal Bread. The flavours in this bread are simply delicious and you will not regret having tried it. Unlike most breads it is made with milk. The combination of the milk and oats is where it derives its flavours from. Now add your Sourdough Starter and can only get better. As always, I do discuss alternative raising agents as well.

Bring 2 cups of milk (500 ml) to the boil. Add 50 g butter and 1/3 cup (90 ml) Muscovado sugar (dark brown sugar). Melt the sugar and the butter into the warm milk and then allow the milk to cool down to a lukewarm temperature. Pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl.
Option 1: If you are using Active Dry Yeast, you can add a packet to a 1/4 cup (90 ml) lukewarm water. Allow it to develop for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy. Then add it to the wet ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups (500 ml) White Bread Flour, 4 cups (1 Litre) Cake Wheat Flour, 2 cups (500 ml) raw oats, and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt. Mix it well so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Option 2: If you are using Instant Dry Yeast, you can mix a packet in with the dry ingredients.

My sourdough starter is at a point now where I keep in the fridge from Monday to Sunday. On Sunday, I take it out and feed it a cup of White Bread Flour and half a cup to a cup of lukewarm water. I then leave the starter out overnight and on Monday's I bake something with the starter, before returning it to the fridge. I love that sourdough starter and can't imagine how I managed so long without it. Add 1 1/3 cup (330 ml) sourdough starter to the wet ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Bring the dough together.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes an elastic ball.

Place it in a clean bowl and cover with plastic. Leave it in a warm dry place to rise.

It should just about double in size.

Knock the dough back by kneading it another 5-10 minutes. This will ensure that the air bubbles that have formed are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Divide the dough into two balls.

Prepare two small bread pans with non-stick spray and a coating of flour. Shape the dough into loaves and place in the pans. Use the palms of your hands, or your knuckles to work the dough into the corners. Do not poke holes in the dough with your fingers.

Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm dry place.

The dough should once again rise to almost double its size.

Use a sharp knife to score the dough.

Brush the dough with the yolk of an egg to give it pretty shine when done.

Sprinkle some raw oats over the top.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 45 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when you tap it when it is done.

Turn the bread out on a wire rack to cool down.

A dampened tea towel can be used to cover the warm bread. This will prevent the crust from becoming hard.

Serve with any of your favorite condiments.

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Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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