Best Bread Machine Loaf!

This is the best loaf of bread my bread machine has ever concieved! I've always liked all the bread that came out of it although, sometimes short and dense and very unlike how bread should be, it still tasted amazing. I just could never seem to get it to rise the way I wanted to. Usually the tops would always fall in even if I were to measure the yeast with a micrscope for an eye and count every last organism. Behold Light Oat Bread. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and only slightly adapted it. I was skeptical about its simplicity but after checking on the dough mid-knead I knew it would work out. The dough was just the right consistency with no adjustments on my part- a slightly tacky ball that circled around the pan and stuck lightly to the sides for a brief second then pulled away. This is what you are looking for so check on it after the first five or ten minutes of kneading and if it's too wet (soupy, liquidy, not forming into a ball) or too dry (crumbly, powdery, not sticking together) then simply adjust accordingly. Too wet? Add 1 tablespoon of flour and allow to need for a minute or two and continue to add until it's just right, don't go crazy. Too dry? Add warm water (80-110 degrees no higher or lower) one teaspoon at a time, just until everything is nicely sticking together. There shouldn't be any little crumbles, if so, just carefully remove the dough from pan while in kneading cycle and press them back into the dough ball, if they crumble out again this is another indicator that it's too dry.

Light Oat Bread

(slightly adapted from allrecipes.com)

(yields one 1 1/2 lb loaf or 12 servings, 150 calories per slice)

1 1/4 cups warm water (80-110 degrees F)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 cups bread flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

1.) Add ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order suggested by your machine's manual. For my machine the order would be water first followed by oil, salt, sugar, flour, oats, and yeast last.

2.) Select the basic white setting and the 1 /12 lb loaf size with a light crust, if possible or the equivalent for your machine. Start the magic! *Remember to check the consistency

3.) When your loaf has baked up remove the pan from the machine and let it rest in the pan 10 minutes. Then move to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing. Resist the urge to cut into it before it cools, this will cause the center to get gummy.

Sweet, light, and lovely!

Perfect for my favorite sandwiches- peanut butter and honey with flax and chia seeds, mmm!