Ruth's Oatmeal/Oatbran Bread

I've always loved oatmeal and oatmeal cookies, but when oatbran started becoming fashionable as a diet supplement, I started to bake this bread. It's a favorite of mine and my daughters, particularly as the base for a an open-faced toasted tunafish sandwich topped with cheddar cheese. It has a lingering molasses flavor and is very moist. Because of the buttermilk, this bread keeps for nearly a week at room temperature. Enjoy it for both the flavor and the healthy ingredients.

As a reminder to the kosher consumer, all milk-containing breads need to be carefully distinguished by their shape or some marking so that you don't confuse them with pareve breads and serve them in error with meat meals.

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Yield: 1 loaf in a 9" by 5" loaf pan

Soften the yeast in 1/8 cup warm water and add with the next 6 ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the plastic blade. Turn on the motor, and mix well while adding the buttermilk or water. Knead briefly until the dough begins to lose its stickiness. If needed, add more water or flour until the dough forms a ball on the blade and is beginning to have a smooth, not dry texture. Grease a large bowl with 1 T. oil, put the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1.5 hrs. Punch down, and shape the dough into a smooth loaf to fit into the prepared pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 40 min. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the pan, and cool 15-20 min. on a rack before serving.

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