Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

Found this lovely gem from Antonia James via Food52.  Hey-o!  Great cooks contribute to a great site.  Check it out, lovelies. 


Makes one loaf


Ingredients
1 tsp. sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, or 1 ½ teaspoons of “rapid-rise” or instant yeast
7/8 cup buttermilk (lowfat is fine)
½ cup rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoon salt
3 – 3 ¼ cup bread flour (You may need just a bit more for kneading.)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Olive oil for brushing the dough before baking


Directions

Proof the yeast by putting it in a small measuring cup with 3 tablespoons of water that is warm (no hotter than 115 degrees Fahrenheit), with a pinch of sugar. Set it aside for at least ten minutes.

Mix together the buttermilk, oats, melted butter, salt, honey, 1 cup of flour and the baking soda. Beat well until combined. (If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment).

Beat in another half cup of flour, then add the yeast and water mixture along with another half cup of flour, and beat some more, until combined. The dough should start to feel a bit stretchy.
Stir in another half cup of flour as best you can and then dump the contents of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface.

Set the remaining ¾ cup of flour close to your work area. Knead, adding flour a bit at a time as necessary, using a bench scraper to lift from your work surface any dough that is sticking.
Knead for about ten or twelve minutes, adding only as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking hard to your hands. You don’t need to add the entire amount stated in the ingredients list. Remember, this dough has oatmeal in it, which will continue to soak up the liquids in the bread during the rise.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you prepare the bowl and your rising area, if necessary.

Wash in hot water the same bowl that you used for mixing the dough. Dry it and drizzle in the bottom a teaspoon or two of good, fruity olive oil. You can also use butter to coat the bowl, if you prefer.

Gently form the dough into a ball, put into the bowl topside down, and then flip it over to coat with the oil.

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel. Allow to rise until doubled, for about an hour to an hour and a half. Carefully remove from bowl, then roll loosely like a log. Pinch the seams together. and place in a greased bread pan or oven-proof pot. Cover the pan/pot with the damp cloth.

Allow to rise a second time about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.

Brush with olive oil, slice the dough a few times with a sharp knife, and bake at 350 Fahrenheit (for regular ovens) for about 55 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when the bottom is gently tapped.

Allow to cool on a rack or cutting board for about an hour before slicing.