A little slice of heaven!

After my earlier debacle with the sourdough bagels I was in the mood for some good bread! So, I decided to create a new twist on an old favorite. Last weekend we all went to a Scottish restaurant for breakfast where we tried some Scottish Oatmeal. It was so creamy and delicious! For a long time I have not been a fan of cooked oatmeal for breakfast, but this kind of oatmeal has changed my mind. We bought some Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal at the store last weekend to make up some cereal for ourselves. It is a very finely ground oatmeal that is very healthy and tasty as well! So, I decided to try using it in an old family recipe for oat bread.

This recipe makes two loaves. I usually keep one loaf plain and for the other one I create a cinnamon swirl in the middle. This time I put brown sugar and nutmeg in the swirl since that's what Scottish oatmeal is usually made with according to the Scottish place we visited. It was fantastic! It's even softer than the original bread and delicious! Enjoy!

Scottish Oatmeal Bread: Yields: 2 loaves

2 cups Scottish oatmeal
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
5 + cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons yeast
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons rolled oats (to top the bread for decoration)

For swirl filling:

4 tablespoons melted butter
6+ tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Warm the milk, water and butter either in a saucepan on the stove until the butter is melted or in the microwave for about 4 minutes. Place the oats and 4 tablespoons brown sugar in the mixer bowl and pour the liquid over. Let stand until just warm or lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

2. Stir in 3 cups of flour, salt and yeast. Mix together thoroughly. Change to dough hook, or gradually stir in by hand; adding enough additional flour to make a soft dough that holds its shape. Knead until smooth and elastic- about 10 minutes by hand or 6-7 minutes with a dough hook, or til the dough is not sticky and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place free from draft until doubled, about one hour. I like to place the bowl in a sink filled with warm water.


4. Grease 2 small loaf pans. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and cut into two equal pieces. Form 2 rectangles of dough. On one rectangle brush the 4 tablespoons of melted butter onto the dough. Then, sprinkle it with brown sugar and the one teaspoon nutmeg. Roll up and place into a prepared pan. Form the other loaf and place into the pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled- about 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 425 F.

6. Uncover loaves, brush with the egg yolk mixed with water and sprinkle each loaf with oatmeal. Bake until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 25-30 minutes. Unmold the loaves and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy a yummy slice of bread!