Honey Oat Hearth Bread from U S A PAN

As I mentioned in another post, I've found the bread pan to end all bread pans! No kidding! The loaves from my 9x5 pans came out so beautifully, my sweet hubby came home with another pan, this time a 12x5 hearth pan, (hey, some women prefer roses, I like bread pans  :) .  Making larger loaves is definitely more efficient for our family of 9-they should last us a day!  I've never used such a large bread pan so I found this recipe on the USA PAN site. It is absolutely delicious!  The soaked rolled oats give it an extremely moist texture and wonderful flavor!  It's great for toasting, sandwiches or simply having a thick slice for breakfast.  With coffee, of course!  :) The pans really are remarkable!  Not only does the bread turn out perfectly, but it literally falls out of the pan! The picture above is of the hearth pan just after coming out of the oven-no wash! The other thing I love is that they're made right here in America!

2 cups boiling water

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 honey

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

1 package (.25 ounce) or 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water(110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

4 cups bread flour (you may need more)

2 tablespoons honey, warmed slightly

2 tablespoons rolled oats

In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, oats, 1/2 cup honey, butter and salt. Let stand for 1 hour. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the yeast mixture into the oat mixture. Add 2 cups of flour; mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes. (If using a Kitchen Aid with a dough hook, only knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Believe me, I burned the motor on an older model! :( One other note, I did have to add quite a bit more flour......just add 1/2 cup at a time until it cleans the bowl and is still smooth and elastic). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. I placed it in my oven with the light on. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into loaf. Place the loaf into a lightly greased USA Pan Hearth Bread Pan. Cover the loaf with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaf from pan, brush top of loaf with 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with oats.