Maple Oat Bread

This bread is a huge favorite in our house. It is a wonderful accompaniment to soups, or to any meal for that matter. We even like to warm leftover bread in the microwave with a little honey butter to have for breakfast. Unfortunately, we rarely have any leftovers. In fact, it is so good that when I made it for Thanksgiving a few years ago, my father-in-law said that all he wanted for Christmas was a few loaves of this bread.

Maple Oat Bread

• 1 c. quick-cooking oats
• 1 c. boiling water
• 1/3 c. warm water
• 1 T. yeast
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 2 t. canola or olive oil
• 1 t. salt
• 3 1/2 - 4 c. flour (I've successfully used all white flour, all wheat flour, and a 50/50 combination)
• 1 egg white
• 2 T. oats

1. In a small bowl, combine oats and boiling water. Stir. Set aside to cool a little bit.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/3 c. warm water. Add maple syrup, oil, salt and oatmeal mixture. The oatmeal mixture should be warm but not hot. (If it's too hot it will kill the yeast.) Stir to combine.

3. Work in as much flour as possible until dough is no longer sticky. Knead for 5-6 minutes.

4. Place dough back in bowl, cover and let rise for one hour.

5. After an hour, punch down dough, knead another 1-2 minutes, and place in a greased 8 or 9-inch cake or pie pan. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

6. Brush egg white on top of the bread and sprinkle with additional oats. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.