Bread Baking: Oat-Wheat Loaf

The night before you want to bake, put white whole wheat flour and oats into bowl (use bowl of your stand mixer if you will be kneading by machine, or use any medium sized bowl if you will knead by hand).

Add 1 cup very warm tap water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on counter overnight.

In morning, mix remaining 1/2 cup water (lukewarm this time) with sugar and yeast in small bowl and let it sit until foamy, about ten minutes.

Add yeast mixture and bread flour to bowl with white whole wheat and oats, and mix until combined. Knead (with the dough hook, or by hand on your counter) until it begins to become elastic.

Add salt and oil and continue kneading until completely incorporated.

Drizzle olive oil into plastic bag and transfer dough to bag. Seal bag and place in refrigerator.

In afternoon or evening (or the next day) take bag out of refrigerator and leave it on counter to come to room temperature, about two hours. Prepare 8-inch loaf pan by coating with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkling lightly with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly flour work surface and turn out dough. Knead briefly, then shape dough to fit pan, and place seam-side down in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled—about one hour.

Remove plastic wrap and bake until nicely browned, about 40 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes in pan, then remove and let cool completely before slicing.