Oatmeal Molasses Bread

3/4 Cup organic rolled oats
1/4 Cup organic steel-cut oats
2 Cups boiling water
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 Cup lukewarm water
5 1/2 Cups unbleached organic bread flour

1- Pour water over the oats in a large bread bowl and let stand for 1 hour. Add in melted butter, salt, and molasses.

2- In a separate bowl, add 1 Tablespoon yeast to 1/2 cup lukewarm water with 2 Tablespoons molasses mixed in. Let this mixture rest and bloom (about 10 min) then add to the oats mixture.

3- Mix in 5 1/2 cups flour. Watch dough and add a little flour as necessary to get a perfect tacky but not sticky texture.

4- Knead dough well for 10 minutes or so. If your dough is on the dry side, knead it on an oiled board. If it gets too sticky, knead in a little flour.

5- Butter bowl and top of dough ball and cover it up with a wet towel. Let it rise in a warm place for two hours or until doubled in size.

6- Punch it down, shape into two loaves, and place loaves into buttered pans. Let them rest for at least a half hour or until doubled in size.

7- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put loaves into hot oven for 10 min. then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 35 min or so. If they sound hollow when tapped, they're done.

8- Pop them out of their pans and cool on a rack or a towel.