Great for toast or sandwiches, this lightly sweet loaf gets its fantastic texture from the addition of oats and almond flour. Soft and tender, it stays fresh longer than most sandwich breads.
In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the oats, butter, salt, maple syrup (or molasses), and honey. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
Add the yeast, 3 cups of the flour, the dry milk, and almond flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
Knead the dough, adding the remaining ¼ cup flour if needed, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until puffy.
Deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 9˝ x 5˝ loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic and let rise for about 45 minutes, or until it’s crowned about 1˝ above the rim of the pan.
Halfway through the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
When the bread has risen, sprinkle the top with flour or oats and slash in a decorative pattern. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center reads 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before tilting out of the pan and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely.
Store, covered, for 5 days at room temperature. Freeze for up to 3 months.
