Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread

• 2 cups (454g) boiling water
• 1 cup (99g) rolled oats, traditional or quick (not instant)
• 1/2 cup (118g) maple syrup
• 1 tbs (21g) honey
• 1/4 cup (59g) olive oil
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) white whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
• 4 cups (482g) unbleached all-purpose flour (482g + 170g = 652g total, if using a scale)

Directions:

1. Heat the water in the microwave for 4 minutes to boil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple syrup, honey, oil, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Let cool to lukewarm (100°F to 110°F), which typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes; stir the mixture several times to help things along.
4. Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny.  If it is too wet, add up to approx. 1/8 cup additional white whole wheat flour.  The dough should be tacky, like a piece of tape.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Since the dough is warm to begin with (from the boiling water), it should rise quickly.
6. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased (or line with parchment paper) 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ bread pans.
7. Cover the pans with plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise until they’ve crowned about 1″ over the rim of the pan, about 60 to 90 minutes.
8. Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes, tenting them lightly with aluminum foil after 25 minutes, to prevent over-browning. Remove them from the oven when they’re golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer.
9. Turn the loaves out onto a rack to cool. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.