100% Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread

 The bread of the month for October is Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread.  This is an extremely dense, moist bread.

I cut the recipe in half and I got one loaf out of it, so the amounts listed below will allow you to make 2 loaves.  According to the recipe variations, you can also make muffins with this same recipe. 

 

Ingredients
5 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 T granulated yeast (or two packets)
1 T kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup  neutral-flavored oil
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 T water)
Raw sugar

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, oats, wheat germ, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, and cinnamon together in a 5-quart bowl or lidded container
2. Add the liquid ingredients and mix without kneading using a wooden spoon
3. Cover (not airtight), an allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and flattens on top (about 2 hours)
4. The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated in a lidded (not airtight) container and used over the next 7 days
5. On baking day, lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan
6. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a canteloupe-sized piece of dough and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go
7. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the loaf pan - you want to get the loaf pan about three-quarters full.  
8. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the loaf to rest and rise for 1 hour and 45 minutes (60 minutes if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough)
9. Preheat the oven to 375F five minutes before baking time
10. Just before placing in the oven, paint the top of the crust with the egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle it with sugar
11. Slide the loaf on a rack near the middle of the oven
12. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until richly browned and firm
13. Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool on a rack before slicing and eating

Muffin Alternative

1. Instead of placing one large ball into a loaf pan, create small, golf ball-sized   balls of dough and place them in a greased muffin tin
2. Allow them to rest for 40 minutes (20 minutes if dough is unrefrigerated)
3. Preheat oven to 375
4. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before placing the muffin tin in the oven
5. Bake for about 20 minutes