There's nothing like the aroma of bread baking in the oven.
I wanted to try something different and saw this Maple Oat Bread in Taste of Home's Guilt-Free Cooking that's been sitting on my shelf for awhile.
Some day I'll get through every single recipe in my shelves of cookbooks (right...).
The first attempt at baking this bread was what I call a failure. When it goes into the trash after one slice - that's a failure.
The original recipe calls for ½ cup of pure maple syrup and it was way too sweet for me. Also, I made it in a smaller dish and although I should have known to bake it for at least five minutes longer than the listed time, it came out underbaked.
I just couldn't serve it, so reluctantly threw it out. Ouch.
Not to worry, subsequent attempts came out great!
I cut down the maple syrup to ⅓ cup and it was just right. You can taste the subtle maple flavor throughout the soft, wonderfully-textured bread. A teaspoon of cinnamon added to the batter makes it even better.
It'll be great toasted and slathered with a little butter for breakfast with my favorite coffee. Yes, butter. I know this book is called Guilt-Free, but by decreasing the maple syrup I made it even more guilt-free, so butter is OK.
Maple Oat Bread
Terrific, lightly sweet homemade with a touch of maple flavor and cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 1 C old-fashioned oats
- 1 C boiling water
- 1 pkg (¼ oz) active dry yeast
- ⅓ C warm water (110 to 115° - warm to the touch)
- ⅓ C pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 ½ to 3 ¾ C all-purpose flour
- Topping:
- 1 egg lightly beaten with a fork
- 1-2 tablespoon old-fahioned oats
Instructions
- Place 1 cup oats in a blender or food processor and process for 6-7 seconds, until roughly processed. Transfer to a small bowl and add the boiling water. Stir and let stand until the mixture cools to 100° or so.
- When the oatmeal mixture is almost cool enough, get a large mixing bowl and stir lightly to dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add the maple syrup, oil, salt, cinnamon, oatmeal mixture and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on medium-low until combined and smooth (will be sticky).
- Turn down the mixer to low and carefully add another cup of flour, scraping the sides down as needed. If mixture is still sticky, add another ¼ C until the dough is smooth and soft (will still be very slightly sticky).
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough so it gets lightly oiled all over. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
- Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a flattened 9" round loaf. Place in a greased 9" round baking dish (I used an 8" and baked longer). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly beat the egg with a fork and brush onto the top of the dough. Sprinkle with the oatmeal as desired. Bake for 35-38 minutes or until fairly dark golden brown. Remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
The original recipe calls for ½ cup of maple syrup, but I found that too sweet.
Don't under bake! If you're using a smaller or different-sized dish, adjust the baking time accordingly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
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