Oatmeal Yeast Bread - Gina Dale

2 2/3 cup Warm Water
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Yeast
2/3 cup Instant Milk Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1 Egg
2 1/4 Cups Quick Rolled Oats
6 Cups Flour
softened butter
Pam
Stick Butter with wrapper half way off

In a large mixing bowl, mix water and sugar.

Sprinkle in yeast. Do not stir. Let stand and grow 10 minutes.

Add milk powder, salt, oil, egg, and oats to yeast mixture. Mix well.

Add 3 cups flour. Mix well.

Add remaining flour gradually until dough cleans sides of bowl.

Knead 10 minutes on a floured surface.

Coat top of dough with a thin layer of softened butter. Cover bowl and let dough rise until it doubles in volume. I like to bring a small pot of water to a boil and place it on the bottom of the oven.  Then put a wrack right above it and have the dough rise in the oven with the door shut for an hour.

Divide dough into two portions.

Form loaves and place in well greased pans, I use Pam.

Coat tops of loaves again with a thin layer of softened butter.  Let bread rise until the top of each loaf is 1 inch higher than the level of the pans. I just put them back in the oven without reboiling.  Keep oven door shut and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

To test for doneness, rap on top of baked loaf with knuckles, if fully baked, loaf
will sound hollow.

Rub stick butter over all of the baked loaves.

Let cool completely and cover in cling wrap.