That looks like Oatmeal.

Half-way through my venture, I am always reminded of how much work goes into a loaf of bread. Mixing, Kneading, Punching, Prodding, Rising, Pushing, Shaping, and then FINALLY Baking.

But when those loaves come out of the oven and the whole house smells of bread, a wave of accomplishment comes over you.

Everyone should make at least one loaf of bread in their lifetime, maybe two.

Today's accomplishment was Maple Oatmeal Bread, incorporating Bowker's 100% pure maple syrup from Barron, Wisconsin. And since every loaf of bread comes with a story, I'll share this one from Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads":

Maple syrup- the truly natural product with nothing added- was discovered by the Indians who lived among the vast maple forests in North America, but it was the pioneer or Early American housewife who made the syrup's use into an art. Sugar was scarce, if available at all, but maple syrup was plentiful, and with it she made breads, biscuits, and pies and poured it over pancakes.


A fine example of this art is Maple Oatmeal Bread, which comes from an old New Hampshire farmhouse now turned in- Stafford in the Field, which looks out over meadows and orchards and maple trees in the shadow of the Mount Chocorua.


The loaf is a creation of the inn's baker, Ramona Stafford (her mother is the cook), who adapted it from a century-old recipe. The bread is baked for the evening meal at the inn, but Ramona says it is even better for lunch sandwiches– sweet and hearty with a chewy crust.


The loaf has an interesting texture, thanks to the oatmeal, and a light sweetness in taste, thanks to the syrup.