Old Fashioned Oatmeal Bread

Yield: 24 servings (2 loaves); 3 points per serving

1 cup oats, rolled (raw)

2 cups boiling water

scant 2 Tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water -- about 110F

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp sea salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 1/2 cups white flour -- unbleached

2 Tbsp oats, rolled (raw) -- for garnish

Egg Glaze:

1 egg white -- well beaten

1 Tbsp Cold Water

Add rolled oats to boiling water. Stir, cover, and let sit until cooled to lukewarm, about 45 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add oil, honey, salt, whole wheat flour and 2 cups unbleached flour. Beat vigorously for two minutes. Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away form the side of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with plastic warp and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Grease the inside surface of each loaf pan and press rolled oats against the sides of the pans (optional).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place into well-greased loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Just before baking, brush each loaf lightly with the glaze and sprinkle with additional oats.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reached 190 degrees. Immediately remove bread from pans and cool on a rack.

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