Oatmeal-Molasses Bread

Bring water to a boil and pour over oats. Add butter and molasses and let mixture cool to warm (105-115’F/40-46’C).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm oat mixture and wait 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed. Add the remaining 2-3 cups of flour as needed for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl after a few minutes of kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Butter two 9-by-5 inch loaf pans. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a work surface (it may be sticky). Cut it in half. Form an oval log with each half (by rolling and sealing the dough) Place the logs seam side down in the prepared loaf pans. Press on them to flatten them evenly into the pans. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let it rise again in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375’F. Mist the tops of the loafs with water and sprinkle with extra oats. Bake until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped on top, 40-45 minutes. Let them cool completely on wire racks before slicing.