Oat Bran Wheat Bread with Cayenne Cinnamon Honey Sauce
DON’T YOU JUST LOVE BREAD?
For a while bread was a bad word due to high carbohydrates and calories. That isn’t the case anymore, thankfully. Bread is a wonderful companion to many foods and comforts people. A simple piece of warm, buttered toast and a bowl of fruit in the morning is still a most popular breakfast for many people around the world. It may be simple, but it’s filling, healthy and nourishing.
Some bread is better for the body than others but most people love bread and shouldn’t shun it out of fear of carbohydrates or calories. Just don’t eat the entire loaf in a day and you shouldn’t have to worry about such nonsense.
I’d like to share my Oat Bran Wheat Bread recipe with you along with a special Cayenne Cinnamon Honey Sauce recipe of mine that accentuates this bread and makes it wonderfully addicting. As should become habit, please read through the entire recipe before beginning preparing so as not to come upon any unwanted surprises or unexpected frustrations.
OAT BRAN WHEAT BREAD
1 Tablespoon fast-acting yeast (1 packet)
2 cups warm water
2 cups warm almond milk
¾ cup melted butter
¾ cup honey
3 cups white wheat flour
3 cups of steel oats (2 of those cups pulverized in a food processor or osterizer)
3 cups All Bran Cereal
1 Tablespoon salt (less or none if you don’t prefer salt)
In a large bowl combine the yeast, warm water and warm almond milk.
Mix well and let sit for 3 minutes.
Add the melted butter and honey to the yeast mixture and mix well.
Add the 3 cups of white wheat flour and mix well.
Add the 3 cups of steel cut oats and mix well.
Add the 3 cups All Bran Cereal and mix/knead well.
Add the salt and mix/knead well.
The dough will be moist. It should be.
Continue to knead for approximately 3-4 minutes.
You can knead the dough right in the bowl if the bowl is big enough; otherwise, turn the dough onto a floured board or countertop.
Keep your hands lightly floured as you knead 9as needed) so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands.
Generously butter two 9” loaf pans.
Separate the dough into two sections and place each section into one of the loaf pans.
Cover with a damp warm towel and place in a warm spot in the kitchen and let rise for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make certain the oven is hot before you put the bread in.
***If you prefer the bread is egg washed then take the white of one egg and mix it with 1 tablespoon of water. Beat with a fork until well blended and brush on top of the loaves before putting into the oven***
Place the loaves in the hot oven and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.
(Half way through at around the 30-minute mark, turn the breads around in the oven, as many ovens tend to be hotter on one side than the other. This way they’re more likely to bake evenly. This procedure, by the way, should be done with everything you bake and cook.)
Test for done bread by thumping it on the bottom. It should produce a hollow sound.
When the loaves are done, remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes in the pan.
Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack (or turned on its sides) for an additional 30 minutes or until you’re ready to slice into it.
Makes 2 loaves.
This bread is fabulous toasted! Better yet, butter and grill it in a pan or on your stovetop grill.
Now, here’s a great little sauce recipe of mine.
CAYENNE CINNAMON HONEY SAUCE
4 Tablespoons of melted butter (½ stick)
½ cup of honey
½ teaspoon of cinnamon (or more according to taste)
½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Pour the hot butter into a medium sized bowl (or melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized bowl).
Add the honey and mix well.
Add the cinnamon and cayenne pepper to the honey butter mixture and mix until well blended.
Butter both sides of a slice(s) of bread. (optional)
Dip the buttered bread into the cayenne cinnamon honey sauce on both sides (or brush on).
In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, melt a little butter to coat pan.
Add the sauce coated slice(s) of bread to the skillet and fry to desired crispness.
There’s enough sauce for 3-4 slices or more depending on how much you use to coat the bread. Personally, I love a lot of sauce. The bread gets crispy on the outside but says nice and chewy on the inside.
Be warned the cayenne pepper gives this bread a nice hot kick. The honey gives it subtle sweetness. Great combination!
This is so delicious and is one of the greatest comfort breads going. Not only is it a bread with outstanding flavor, it is also impressively nutritious and packed with fiber.
It can be served at any time of day for any meal. It goes well as a side with everything and as a snack it is stupendous, especially served with a cup of hot tea or a cold glass of milk. It also goes very well with wine and cheese.
Enjoy!
