Breakfast Bread
Credit: Christopher Hirsheimer
2 3⁄4 cups bread flour
2 3⁄4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, softened
2 3⁄4 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 tsp. pinhead oatmeal
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk bread flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring with a wooden spoon until dough comes together.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Dust hands with flour and knead with the heels of your hands until dough is semi-smooth, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece of dough into a 6" round. Cut each dough round into 3 equal triangles and arrange on a large ungreased baking sheet 3"–4" apart.
3. Beat egg and 1 tsp. water together in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush tops of triangles with egg wash and sprinkle each with a little oatmeal.
4. Bake loaves until deep golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes before serving.
MAKES 6 LOAVES
pinhead oatmeal = steel-cut oats = Irish oats = Scotch oats = pinhead oats = coarse-cut oats = steel-cut oatmeal = Irish oatmeal = Scotch oatmeal = coarse-cut oatmeal = porridge oats = porridge oatmeal (from http://www.foodsubs.com/GrainOats.html)