Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

By Flyer920

Ingredients

• * 100 grams (~ 1 c or 250 ml) rolled oats
• * 315 grams (315 ml) boiling water (I added more)*
• * 7 grams active dry yeast (2½ tsp)
• * 60gm (60 ml) lukewarm water*
• * 450 grams (~ 3½ c) unbleached all-purpose flour**
• * 150 grams (~ 1¼ c) whole wheat flour**
• * 65 grams milk (~ ¼ c)
• * 45 grams olive oil (~ 3Tbsp + 2tsp)
• * 45 grams honey (~ 2 Tbsp)
• * 13 grams salt (~ 2⅓ tsp)
• * 9 grams cinnamon (~ 4 tsp)
• * 100 grams (¾ c) Thompson raisins***
• * quick oats, for tops of loaves

Details

Adapted from etherwork.net

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large heatproof mixing bowl, pour boiling water over rolled oats. Set aside to sit and cool for about 30 minutes. (Ha. Time got away from me and I left them sitting for an hour or so.)
2. In a small bowl, whisk yeast and lukewarm water together until creamy. Set aside.
3. Add the flours, honey, oil, salt, and cinnamon into the oats. Realize that you don’t have any milk… mix some 10% cream into water and add that. Mix with a wooden spoon as well well as you can, trying to get all of the flour hydrated. (Augh!!! Too dry!! Too dry!!) Add yeast mixture to see if that helps. (Still too dry!!)
4. Pause to shriek. Dump the floury mess onto the board. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and hope that by a miracle the dough will suddenly become hydrated.
5. Knead the flour mixture by hand for 1 minute. Hiss and spit (but NOT on the dough!!!). Use your fist to batter a hole in the flour mixture to make a well. Add some water. Squoosh it in as best you can. Still a stiff dough…. Lift the dough in the air and slam it down on the board. Try to keep the cursing to a minimum. Screaming is also ill-advised. Continue to scowl and slam the dough for another 5 minutes until it is quite smooth. Flatten the dough and scatter raisins over top. Fold in thirds. Knead a little more until the raisins are evenly distributed.
6. Throw dough into the bowl and cover. Allow it to rise for about an hour at warm room temperature.
7. Gently fold the dough to deflate it. Notice that maybe things are going to be okay. Cover the bowl again and allow the dough to rise to double.
8. Turn the still quite stiff dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide it in half and shape the loaves by flattening into rectangles, folding into thirds and rolling like tight jelly rolls. Place them seam side down on a parchment papered peel. Spray each loaf with water and sprinkle generously with quick oats.
9. Cover with plastic or a damp tea towel and leave to rise until almost double.
10. About 20 minutes before baking, put baking stone on middle rack and turn the oven to 400F.
11. Just before putting them in the oven, liberally spray the loaves with water. Use the peel to transfer them to the stone. Immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning the loaves around half way through – to allow for uneven heat in the oven. The loaves are done when the internal temperature of the loaf registers above 185F degrees when measured with an instant read thermometer (or hollow sounding on the bottom). When I pulled the bread out, the thermometer read about 210F.
12. Remove bread from oven and allow to cool on a well ventilated rack. Wait til the bread is cool before cutting it. It is still continuing to bake inside!****