Oatmeal Bread

I really love the idea of oatmeal bread, but unfortunately I tend to find the actual recipes and results consistently less impressive than the idea they're based on. But I saw a promising recipe online somewhere and decided to give it a try.

Of course, knowing now that both flour and oatmeal should be soaked before use I modified the process slightly to incorporate that. That result? Incredibly sticky and slightly gummy dough that nonetheless baked up into a light, fluffy dinner roll consistency. I've modified the instructions here to produce a less gummy (easier to work with) dough, and plan to keep this recipe for continued use. Yum!

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

1 cup water
1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 tsp yeast (I use instant)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
splash of lemon juice

Combine oats, 2 1/2 cups of flour, butter, lemon juice and water. Mixture should be damp but not soupy; add water as needed. Cover and let sit at room temperature 12-24 hours.

Pour off any liquid collected in the soaker and add remaining ingredients, adjusting the flour measurement as needed to get a tacky but not sticky dough. Knead on a floured board approximately 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. (Will be very soft.)

Let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour. Punch down, let rest 10 minutes. Form into 9 rolls and place in greased 9" baking dish. Let double again, then bake 20 - 25 minutes at 350*. (You may incorporate spices like basil, parsley, or oregano into the dough for herbed rolls if desired for variety.) Enjoy!