oatmeal sandwich bread

there's something delicious and homey about a slice of still warm homemade bread, spread with a thick layer of peanut butter and homemade jam. each and every time i make bread i remember how incredibly easy it is - especially on a weekend in the dead of winter, when the hour i wait for it to double in size is easily filled with shows from my dvr or boring household chores - and how the taste is so much better than store bought bread.

and i can't help but mention how fitting it is that this, my two hundredth post, is a simple loaf of bread. considering that's how it all started.

oatmeal sandwich bread
adapted from the little red house
makes 1 standard size loaf

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons salt

1. in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 2 cups warm water, yeast, and honey. stir with a spoon and allow the yeast to bloom for about five minutes. 
2. while the yeast blooms, melt the butter and set aside.
3. once bloomed, add the flours, oats, and melted butter. use the paddle attachment to mix the dough. cover with a towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
4. remove the paddle and attach the dough hook. add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for about five minutes. the dough should come together in a ball around the hook and shouldn't stick to the sides of the bowl. if it sticks, add flour, a teaspoon at a time, until it no longer sticks.
5. spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. transfer the dough to the bowl and place it in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. it's ready when you poke it and it doesn't spring back.
6. spray a bread pan with non stick spray and set aside.
7. flour a large work surface and turn the dough out onto it. press it into a rough square shape. roll the dough from one end into a log (like you would roll a cake roll). use your hands to form it so that it's roughly the shape of your pan. place the dough in the bread pan seam side down. cover with a towel and place it in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
8. preheat your oven to 400F.
9. bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. the bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 190F or when the loaf sounds hollow when you thump the top of it with your finger.
10. remove the load from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. cool completely before cutting.
11. store in an airtight container.