Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

I recently had the opportunity to go to a bread baking seminar hosted by Father Dominic Garramone, also known as The Bread Monk.   Father Dominic put on a great presentation and did a wonderful job of demonstrating how easy it is to make and bake your own bread, which is something near and dear to my heart. 

 Needless to say, I came home from the seminar feeling inspired to bake.  I decided to make one of Father Dominic’s recipes, Honey Oatmeal Bread, and give it a Hodgson Mill twist by adding some whole wheat flour and a few other ingredients.   After spending an afternoon mixing, kneading and rolling dough, I’m happy to report that my new version, Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread, is a success.  The bread has a light texture and tender crumb that is accentuated by the old-fashioned rolled oats and Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour I added.  To make this more of a breakfast bread, I sprinkled a layer of cinnamon sugar on the dough and rolled it up so that each toasted slice would have a delicious cinnamon spiral in the middle.  The other great part about this bread recipe is that it makes two loaves at a time; one to eat and one to freeze for later.  Perfect.

 To begin, you’ll need to pull out a bag of Hodgson Mill Best for Bread Flour, Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and a packet of Hodgson Mill Fast Rise Yeast.  With these three ingredients in your pantry, the possibilities are endless. 

I like how Hodgson Mill Best for Bread Flour creates a tender loaf of bread because of the extra gluten included in this high protein, high quality grain.  But, if you don’t have any handy, Hodgson Mill Naturally White Flour will work well, too. 

 Next, combine the milk and water in a medium-sized bowl and microwave the mixture on high power for 3-4 minutes or until it’s very hot or beginning to boil.  Place the oats in a bread machine pan and pour the hot milk/water over the oats and allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes or until it’s bathwater warm. 

 Add the honey, salt, butter and egg to the pan.

 Then add the flour and yeast. 

 Turn the machine on and run the dough cycle.  Be sure to monitor the machine during the first five to ten minutes to see if you need to add extra flour or water to the dough in order for it to come together into a soft, slightly sticky ball.

The dough can also be made in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand.  (If you’re new to bread making by hand, here’s an easy tutorial from Erin that walks you through the steps:

  After the dough cycle has finished or the dough has doubled in size (about an hour and a half), place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two equal pieces.  Cover one of the dough halves with a damp towel or plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray while you work on the other half of the dough. This will keep it from drying out.

 Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into an 8- x 12-inch rectangle. 

 Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle half of it over the rolled dough.  Reserve the other half of the cinnamon sugar mixture for the second piece of dough.

 Beginning with the farthest, short end of the dough, slowly roll the dough towards you as tightly as possible. 

 Tuck the ends of the dough under and place it into a buttered bread pan.  Repeat with the remaining piece of dough. 

Cover the dough with plastic wrap that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and place the pans in a warm spot to rise.  When the dough has doubled in size or is about an inch above the rim of the pans,  it’s ready to bake.  This usually takes about 45 minutes.

 This is what my dough looked like before I put it in the oven.  You can see some of the cinnamon sugar goodness peeking through one of the ends of this beautiful whole grain dough.  I can’t wait to slice into a loaf.

Bake the bread in a 350^˚F oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and the bread pulls away slightly from the sides of the pans. 

 Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for five minutes. Then remove the bread from the pans and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Rub the tops of the warm loaves with butter to create a soft crust, if desired. 

Once completely cooled, the bread can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to three months. 

I love everything about this bread – from the tender crumb to the delicious cinnamon swirl.  I also love that it includes Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour in the dough so that my family is starting their day with the goodness of whole grains in each slice.  Father Dominic mentions on his blog that his Honey Oatmeal Bread is a favorite among his fellow monks and is a highly requested recipe. From the enthusiastic reviews I’ve received so far for my Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread, I like to think that this recipe will be just as popular.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Father Dominic Garramone, www.breadmonk.com

 

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 ½ cups Hodgson Mill Best For Bread Flour
• 1 packet Hodgson Mill Fast Rise Yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon softened butter
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Butter for greasing bread pans and for rubbing on baked bread crust

 

Combine the milk and water in a medium-sized bowl and microwave the mixture on high for 3-4 minutes or until it’s very hot or beginning to boil.  Place the oats in a bread machine pan and pour the hot milk/water over the oats and allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes or until it’s bathwater warm.  Add the honey, salt, butter and egg to the mixture.  Then add the flour and yeast.  Run the dough cycle on the bread machine monitoring it for the first 5 to 10 minutes to make sure it comes together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.  The dough can also be made using a stand mixer and dough hook or by hand. 

Once the dough cycle is finished or the dough has doubled in size (about an hour and a half), place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces.  Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into an 8- x 12-inch rectangle.  Be sure to cover the other piece of dough to prevent it from drying out until you can get to it.  Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle half of the mixture over the surface of the rolled dough.  Reserve the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture for the second piece of dough. Beginning with the farthest, short end of the dough, slowly roll the dough towards you as tightly as possible.  Tuck the ends of the dough under and place it into a buttered bread pan.  Repeat with the remaining piece of dough. 

Cover the dough with plastic wrap that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and place the pans in a warm spot to rise until the dough has doubled in size or is about an inch above the rim of the pans – about 45 minutes.

Bake the bread in a 350^˚F oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and the bread pulls away slightly from the sides of the pans.  Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for five minutes. Then remove the bread from the pans  and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Rub the tops of the warm baked loaves with butter to create a soft crust, if desired. 

Once completely cooled, the bread can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to three months. 

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger