Honey Wheat Oatmeal Bread - All Whole Grain Version

This is my new favorite bread machine recipe. The bread is tender but the crust is amazingly crunchy. I don't use my machine often but I will definitely be making this one again and again. <br/><br/>I did find that it needed more water, maybe 1/2 cup or so. Just watch it as the machine is kneading and add water a little at a time, as needed.

This is the whole wheat recipe I've been looking for!!! So often you sacrifice flavor when you stick to purely whole grains; that's not the case here. The gluten makes for a soft, full loaf, not the dense brick I usually force myself to eat. Here is a truly 100% whole grain recipe that full of flavor and texture, and so healthy, too! I am interested in adding flax to my diet, so I substituted 3/4 cup of flour with ground flax. Flax adds a nutty flavor to the bread, distinct and very yummy. I used local flax found at my grocery store, but you can probably also get it at most health food stores. The search is over--this is the recipe you will keep coming back to!

This bread is fantastic! I have been searching for an 'everyday' bread for my family that I can make form scratch that still meets the requirements of being healthy AND great tasting, and this definitely fits the bill. I don't have a bread machine, so i mixed it all in my Kitchenaid mixer and let it do the kneading for me (setting #2 for 2 minutes), then I let it rise for 1 hour. I placed the dough into my greased loaf pan, let rise an additional 30 minutes, then baked it at 375 for 45 minutes. We had some with our dinner that night (slathered in honey- delicious!) and then I stuck the bread in a plastic bag while it was still warm to let the crust soften up. Dh made himself a sandwich with it the next day, and LOVES it. Thanks so much for this new recipe for our daily bread!

4.5 stars rounded up. MOST IMPORTANT PART: I learned the hard way that it's necessary to *either* add a bunch of extra water OR pre-soak the oatmeal. At least for steel cut oats! Otherwise, you end up with an insanely dense and overly-sweet brick. BUT... when adapting the recipe in this way, the bread is super-delicious. Still a bit on the dense side, but not unpleasantly so. Wonderful to eat straight with a touch of butter or some soft cheese. Or, as I did tonight, roasted garlic :-).

I made this recipe as written and it was wonderful. After that, I started messing with it to get exactly what I wanted. Working off of this recipe, i was able to develop our weekly sandwich bread which is loaded with flax and chia seeds.