Oat & Honey Bread

 Makes 1 Loaf

1 Cup Milk 

1/4 Cup Butter

3/4 TSP Salt

1/2 Cup Quick Oats

1/4 Cup Honey 

1 TBP Dry Yeast

2 Cup Unbleached Bread Flour 

1/4 Cup + 2 TBP Hulled Sunflower Seeds 

1) In a large, heatproof bowl or saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and salt. Warm this mixture until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the rolled oats and honey. Allow this to cool until it is lukewarm; not too hot and not too cold. 

2) Stir in the yeast and whole wheat flour and allow to rest for about 5 minutes, so that the yeast begins to bubble. Stir in the bread flour, 1 cup at a time. Add the sunflower seeds with the second cup of flour and stir to combine very well. You should now have a fairly stiff dough that feels just slightly sticky. 

3) Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm, undisturbed place for about 45 minutes, until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile, generously butter a deep, 6-inch round cake pan. 

4) When the dough has doubled, butter your hands, remove the dough from the bowl, and gently form it into a ball; fit it into the buttered pan. Allow it to rise, loosely covered, for another 1/2 hour. While it is rising, preheat the oven to 350

5) Once the dough has risen almost over the top of the pan, bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until it is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on top. The baked bread should now resemble a big, brown mushroom. Brush the top lightly with butter, if you wish, and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully tip the bread out of the pan and place it upright on a wire rack until it has totally cooled. This is vary tasty served with butter and perhaps a little extra honey. wrap and leftovers airtight to store.