Oatmeal Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups milk (skim works fine for me)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) plus additional for topping
1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (about 3 packages)
1/2 cup mild honey
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
5 cups white whole-wheat flour, divided
1 tablespoon salt
Vegetable oil for oiling bowl
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 (8- by 4-inch) loaf pans

Directions:
Heat milk and butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, and butter has melted. Then remove pan from heat and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

Stir together water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon honey in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir yeast mixture, and remaining honey into cooled oatmeal.

Stir together 4 1/2 cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead with floured hands, adding just enough of remaining unbleached flour to keep from sticking, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). (Alternatively, combine ingredients in stand mixer with wooden spoon, then knead with bread hook 5-7 minutes.) Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly butter loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats (I don't always do this, as you can see in the photo), then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.) If necessary, loosely cover bread with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours