Oat Pan Butter Bread

    Nothing smells better in the world then fresh baked bread.  I love baking and bread is my favorite thing to bake.  I love sharing what I bake.  People don't often get fresh baked bread these days and it is really a treat when you show up with a fresh baked loaf of bread.

     With today's mixers and grinders, bread making has never been faster or easier with better results.  I am old enough to remember bread before mixers.  I personally love the Wondermix, by Wondermill.  It is the best mixer ever.  White bread was amazing, but I don't ever remember receiving a loaf of whole wheat bread that I really liked,  most had a brick like texture and were dry and crumbly.   

      My moms white bread on the other hand was amazing.  Bread straight from heaven.  We loved it and I don't think a single piece ever went to waste.  Bread in those days was sliced and served every meal with butter,  really, not butter,  I hate to admit it was margarine.  That was all we could afford and actually I loved it at the time.  It was all we knew.  And I cannot remember eating store bought bread ever,   Mom baked every Monday.   When I look back I am amazed at all she got done.  All the bottling and canning, cooking and baking, and working.   She was amazing.  Because of her I have a deep love for fresh baked bread and hardly a week goes by that I haven't baked, at least once, often more.  

     Whole grain breads are easy and light.   With the mixers we have today there is no excuse for not baking and when we bake we should always try to add a whole grain.  It adds to the flavor and nutrition of the breads.  Fresh baked breads could be a foundation for health in your home.  

     This recipes is simple and yet with the butter, not margarine on the top, it is distinct and lovely.  The picture show the steps, and the recipe is posted at the bottom of the blog.  

The bread is in the loaf pans waiting to be baked.

A slice in the top of the bread before it rises creates a place to place butter and adds to the beauty of the end loaf.

I add an good amount of butter in the slit to allow the flavor to melt into the bread.

As the dough rises the  butter starts to melt and the cut gets wider and wider.

You can see the flaky texture the butter gives the loaf and the unique texture the slit gives the loaf,  

Recipe

3 cups hot water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
3 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour
5 to 7 cups natural white flour,  Wheat Montana's
2 tablespoons Saf instant yeast

Place hot water in your mixer, add oats, sugar, butter, salt,  and whole wheat flour.  Place yeast on top of flour and turn on mixer.  Add white flour until dough cleans the sides of the bowl.  Knead for six minutes.  Divide into loaves and place in pans to rise.  Slit top and fill with butter.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven at 350 degrees until done,  about 25 to 30 minutes.