Light wholemeal oat bread

I wanted to combine the technique of soaking oats to add to a bread dough with wholemeal flour as I haven't made a wholemeal loaf for quite a while now. So this is adapted from essentially a Dan Lepard recipe (the original on which this is loosely based can be found here) but with a few of my amendments.

Light wholemeal oat bread

Ingredients

38g oats plus more for topping the loaf

1/2 tsp black treacle

3/4 tsp instant dried yeast

3/4 tsp fine salt

75g each of extra strong wholemeal flour, strong white flour and plain white flour

Method

- Pour 190ml of boiling water over the oats in a bowl. Leave for at least 10 minutes (and probably more like 30 mins) to cool a little.

- Stir in the black treacle until it has dissolved - this will turn the oats a lovely colour!

- Add the flours and then yeast and salt and stir until all the flour is incorporated. I'm often tempted to add more water, but then glad when I don't as it doesn't end up needing it. Be patient!

- Leave to rest for about 10 minutes then knead the dough for 30 seconds 3 times over a 30 minute period. Leave for 30 minutes then shape into a baton type shape (as in the picture!).

- Leave until increased in size by about a half again (how long will depend on how warm your kitchen is).

- During this proof, preheat the oven to gas 7/220C.

- When you are ready to bake the loaf, brush it with water and sprinkle with/pat on some more oats.

- Bake for 10 minutes at gas 7 then turn the temperature down to gas 6/200C. Bake for another 20 minutes then take out, turn upside down and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes or so to crisp the base.

- The loaf should sound hollow when tapped.

- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

I really enjoyed this loaf. The texture was light with the slight chewiness provided by the oats lending substance to the loaf. Admittedly this wasn't a 100% wholemeal loaf, but for those who are trying to introduce more wholegrains into their diet this loaf would be a really easy way to do it - the taste is a light wholemeal rather than strong, full on wholemeal but the health benefits of oats and wholegrains are still there. The treacle isn't at all obvious in the finished loaf, but helps to give the loaf an appealing dark colour. The loaf is moist and complements lots of different fillings for sandwiches, though cheese is still my perennial favorite!