Servings:

Preparation Time:
3.5 hours
Ingredients

* 1 cup of cooked oatmeal
* 2 packages of active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
* 2 cups of warm water
* 6 cups of all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup of honey
* 2/3 cup of skim milk powder
* 4 Tbsp cornmeal
* 1 Tbsp salt

Cooking Instructions

Prepare 1 cup of cooked oatmeal. Set aside to cool.

The sponge: Sprinkle 2 packages of active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) onto 2 cups of warm water; stir to dissolve. Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside until doubled in volume (about half an hour)

The dough:

Stir down the sponge and add honey, skim milk powder, and oatmeal.

In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, salt, and 3 cups of all-purpose flour, then add unsalted butter; mix with fingers until coarse.

Add this mixture to the sponge and stir until dough comes away from the sides.

Turn onto floured work surface and knead until smooth and silky (add flour 1/4 cup a time if the dough is too sticky).

Cut in half, shape into rounds, and let rest covered for ten minutes.

Shape rounds into pan loaves, place in greased 8-9” loaf pans. Let rise in a draft-free place (I use a large transparent plastic hood) until the dough has risen well above the tops of the pans. Slash lengthwise and brush with water or melted butter.

Bake with steam in a pre-heated 375F oven for about 40 minutes.

Remove from pans and let cool on rack.

Eat.

Source:
Secrets of a Jewish Baker, by George Greenstein