Hearty Oat + Flax Bread

Good morning, folks! I am so excited about this yummy little loaf of bread I’m posting today. I promised I’d post it on Sunday and then had some technical difficulties and thought I lost all my beautiful bread pictures, but they magically reappeared! Good thing, because this is a really easy, healthy, and versatile homemade loaf of bread, and so hearty! Thus, hearty oat + flax bread 🙂

I used the same base recipe as for my Artichoke + Roasted Garlic Bread and my Kalamata Bread. If I haven’t convinced you to give it a try yet, maybe this one will do the trick! I just can’t believe how easy it is to make your own phenomenal bread with this simple basic recipe.

hearty oat + flax bread

yields 12 slices
2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C rolled oats, divided
1/2 C flax seed, divided
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
1 t sugar
2 t salt

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a large bowl and set aside for five minutes for the yeast to proof (meaning: do its thang 😉 )

When the yeast looks all foamy, combine everything except the oats and flax seed and mix until just combined. Cover and set aside for two hours. You can leave it to rise for a really long time, this dough is so easy to work with. But if you’re letting it sit for more than 2 hours, I’d put it in the fridge. I’ve let this dough rise for a little over 24 hours and the result is still fantastic.

When you’re ready to bake your bread, preheat the oven to 425. If the dough was in the refrigerator, get it out and let it come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

In a food processor or coffee grinder, blend 1/4 C of the oats and 1/4 C of the flax seed into a powder. Add all the oats and flax seed (the whole ones and the powder-form ones) to the dough and knead just until they stick in there well. Don’t overmix it! It’s better to lose a little of the oats and flax than to overwork the dough.

Shape the dough into a loaf on a baking sheet that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray. Or you can put it in a greased loaf pan if you prefer. If you want to slice a few pretty diagonals across the top, go right ahead!

Bake the bread for 25 minutes. You’ve got amazing healthy hearty home made bread! 🙂

This bread makes a killer side to a big bowl of soup, amazing French toast, AND is hearty enough to cube up and throw on skewers for kabobs (I think that’s my favorite way to eat it!) I have just a teeny bit left and I’m plotting some huge buttery herbed croutons to throw on top of a salad. Mmmmmm 🙂

Nutrition facts per slice: Calories: 152; Calories from Fat: 19; Total Fat: 2.1g; Sodium: 391mg; Total Carbohydrates: 26.8g; Dietary Fiber: 4.0g; Protein: 4.6g