Honey White Oat Bread

Honey White Oat Bread

     My husband and I went to hear the Nora Struthers Band play the other night at this wonderful art deco era theater in Frederick Maryland, called The Weindberg Center. It's such a small theater that you really get to be up close to the performers.  It's such a fun place to attend concerts!  Since it's such a small theater and audience, the performing artists usually come out to the foyer after the performances to mingle with the crowd.  It was really fun to meet Nora, (ya, we're pretty much on a first name basis now.)  It's such fun change of ambiance from the Kennedy Center In downtown D.C!  The Nora Struthers Band was fantastic! Nora has an amazing voice and they have some talented banjo, mandolin, fiddle and drummers in the band.  If you ever get the chance to hear them in person I would highly recommend it!  Check out some of their great tunes here...https://myspace.com/norajanestruthers/music/songs.  My favorites are Jack of Diamonds, Travelin' On, Bike Ride.  You can check them out playing these awesome tunes live on youtube. 
     A special old friend and neighbor, Connie Robinson and I have a lot in common...we are both busy moms, play stringed instruments, love to cook and bake and have a knack for getting ourselves into larger than life home and garden projects.  Connie and I played in a string quartet together for many years.  We always dreamed of putting together a bluegrass band, with me on banjo and Connie on mandolin, but with family, church responsibilities and a reality check, a dream it remains!  With our growing families, one thing we did a lot of was cooking and baking. Connie comes from a long line of family bread makers, and always knew when I needed a loaf of her hot-out- of- the- oven, homemade bread, and a visit. Connie shared her family recipe for this delicious bread.  It's definitely one of our favorites.  My kids can enthusiastically eat an entire loaf, hot out of the oven, with butter and honey or jam when they get home from school.  Luckily the recipe makes two loaves so there is fresh bread for Dad when he gets home from work.  One day, Connie and I will get around to some banjo, mandolin and fiddle music together, after a good visit and a loaf of Connie's Honey White Oat Bread.   

2 cups boiling water

1 cup old fashioned oat

4 ½ teaspoons yeast

1/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon salt

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons melted butter

4-5 cups flour

Prepare 2 bread pans by greasing pans.  Cut out pieces of parchment paper to fit the bottom and sides of bread pans and stick them to the greased pan.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with dough hook, or in a large bowl combine 2 cups boiling water with the oats and let stand 30 minutes.  In a separate small bowl combine yeast and 1/3 cup warm water and let stand 10 minutes.   Add salt, honey and melted butter to the oat mixture.  Stir in yeast. Stir in flour, enough to make the dough not too sticky.  Knead in electric mixer 5-10 minutes, or knead by hand 10 minutes.  If the dough is sticking too much to your fingers and the counter, then sprinkle counter top with flour and knead until dough reaches a nice dough consistency.  Oil, or grease large mixing bowl. Rub dough around in bowl to cover with oil, this prevents a crust from forming while rising.  Cover with a damp dish cloth. Let dough double in size.  Divide dough into two equal portions, shape into a loaf and place in pans. Sprinkle top with a pinch of dry oatmeal.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let dough rise until top of dough reaches an inch or two above the edge of the bread pan.  Bake for 45 minutes. Brush the top of each loaf with butter and share with a friend!