Honey Oat Bread and Finding My Mojo in 2012

Honey oat bread is hearty sandwich bread, and perfect for toasting. The outer crust is rich and sweet, with a tender crumb inside.

Since I had yesterday to be all publicly pouty and I’m not one to stay down in the dumps very long, lets kick today off with some awesomeness.

First, that honey oat bread recipe below. It’s pretty freakin awesome. Second, the New Years resolution post.

I am not one for New Years resolutions personally, but I like to take it as a chapter break for the blog to figure out what I can improve on and how I can make Pass the Sushi even more action packed and fun filled for my readers.

Continue to grow the recipe collection: I think its about time that I can get rid of the ‘two new a week’ category. You’ve all figured it out that I’m not doing it any more. 😉 I want more side dishes, appetizers and main dishes on here though. I think I tend to focus on the big things and forget that there are a billion smaller dishes that I love and would enjoy sharing with you.

Revisit and update some old posts: There were some delicious posts long before I knew how integral good food photos were to a good post, so I think its time I revisit some of those recipes and share some snapshot love with them.

More Fat Kid Friendly: Sure, it’s 2012. Everyone wants to get fit and healthy and what not? Here’s the deal though people, I don’t eat like that. I’m not sure I ever could (well, I’m sure I could). For every salad I eat there will be cheese sticks and brownies somewhere. Hell, my boss stops and picks me up cookies. I can’t help it. So, I will try to include some healthy recipes, but really, I want to let me fat kid play. I want down home delicious, not just good for you. If I can somehow magically find a harmony for both well then, maybe by years end I’ll be a millionaire.

More meat: (If I wanted hits, that would have read ‘more cupcakes’). My heart is in the savory dishes and where I can look back when I am done creating a beautiful dessert and be happy with the job, I want more savory. I want a site where delicious real food will get just as many hits and a marshmallow dipped in chocolate and rolled in peppermint (wait, that’s on this blog). More smoker, more grill, more fire! Bring it on 2012.

Restaurant reviews: I have long kept my Nikon and food love trapped in a deep dark hole in my house in fear of odd looks and judgement of strangers. Time to remidy that. I think there are enough people walking around snapping Instagram pics of everything that I can learn to be comfortable with my Nikon around my neck.

Warning: This is a run on paragraph.

As for personal goals (because I believe that sharing them with people will make me more likely to accomplish them), I am going to try for a year of no regret. If I want it, let’s make it happen. Fortunately, I am pretty stingy and I believe in the small things, so I know that I wont ‘want’ for anything that is really out of my grasp. Starting with redoing the bedroom that has become nothing more than a bed and collection area for junk – no not hoarders level just lacking mojo.

I want a little bit of color to my skin (the dead girl look died with Courtney Love’s career). I want to become an awesome mountain biker – pushing myself as hard as I can every time. That ones going to be rougher than it sounds. I want to be fit – not just skinny. I am at a good weight and now I need to make it a fit weight. Then maybe with that little bit of color we can work on bikini shopping. (I just lost the last male reader that was hoping this was going somewhere). I want that tattoo I’ve been talking about for 2 years now. I’m going to work on a food budget and bank some moolah. And lastly, it’s time to go through some junk and purge – starting with the dresser.

Now on to the super tastiness that is this comforting and delicious honey oat bread.

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Honey Oat Bread

Recipe by Darla at Bakingdom

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 cups instant oats, plus 1 1/2 to 2 tbs oats
• 2 1/4 teas instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teas salt
• 1 cup  milk
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tbs unsalted butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup honey, plus 1 1/2 to 2 tbs honey, warmed

Preparation:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, 3/4 cup oats, yeast, and salt.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk so that it’s hot enough to melt the butter, but not boiling. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the water and 1/4 cup honey.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing until it just comes together to form a dough. Run your mixer, with dough hook, on low for 10 minutes or knead by hand at least 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball and lay in in a lightly oiled bowl folded sides down, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface. With your fingers (no need for a rolling pin), flatten the dough into a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Starting with the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough, into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9×5-inch loaf pan, cover  and let rise again, about another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place an empty loaf or baking pan with high edges on the bottom rack. Bring two cups of water to a boil.

When the loaf is about to be place in the oven, brush the top with the warmed honey and sprinkle with the oats.

Place the bread in the oven and pour the boiling water carefully into the empty pan you had previously set in the oven. After 20 minutes, brush with any remaining honey. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown.

Cool completely and serve sliced with honey and butter.

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