I’ve previously written about making relatively quick yeasted breads as a change from sourdough.  This is another that is very quick to mix together and rise.  The fact that you start with warmed milk, plus the sugar in the dough, gives this a quick boost, so you see it start rising pretty quickly – always reassuring if you don’t make bread often!

Because of the large amounts of milk in the recipe, I’ve also found this very useful for using up milk that isn’t so fresh, and you don’t taste it at all in the final product.

The resulting bread is a lovely light loaf, easy to slice, and freezes well.  The recipe I adapted this from described it as toasting bread, and it is lovely toasted, whether with jam, with soup, or in a toasted cheese sandwich; and also makes great croutons.  The only thing it probably isn’t good for is Vegemite toast, as for my taste at least, I think the touch of sweetness just doesn’t go!

Rolled oat milk bread

Adapted (slightly) from Farmgirl Fare’s Oatmeal Toasting Bread

• 4 cups milk
• 2 Tbs yoghurt whey (optional)
• 300g rolled oats
• 60g oat bran
• 90g brown sugar
• 60g butter
• 870g plain flour
• 3 tsp yeast (approx 10g)
• 3 tsp salt (15g) [if you use a flaky/sea salt it will probably be 4 tsp]

Combine the oats, bran, sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Heat the milk until almost simmering, and pour into the bowl, stirring until combined. Leave for about 30 minutes to cool to blood temperature.

Once cooled, add the whey, flour and yeast, and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky, but should come together. Leave for another 20 minutes, add the salt, and mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium, and mix for about four minutes until the dough is smooth and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

Cover, and either leave at room temperature for a couple of hours, or in the fridge overnight, until doubled in volume. Scrape it out onto a floured bench, and divide in two, shaping each half into a loaf.

Press into two large greased loaf tins, and let rise for approximately an hour until nearly doubled again. While dough is rising, heat oven to 200C. Bake loaves for 20 min, reduce the heat to 180C, and bake for another 20 to 30 min until the loaves are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.  Cool on a rack before slicing.