This is a formula I've been meaning to try forever, simply because I love
Murphy's Irish Stout so much. If you give it a try, please tell me how it
is. This is from Collister & Blake's "Country Breads of the World" and is
courtesy of Maurice Chaplais from "The Flour Bag" in Glouchestershire, England.
Stout and Oat Bread
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5 g fresh yeast (or 1/4 t instant yeast)
30 g dark brown sugar
325 mL Murphy's Irish Stout
400 g unbleached white bread flour
100 g steel-cut oats, coarsely ground, or oat flour
100 g toasted oat flakes
1 t fine sea salt
1 T lard or shortening
oat flakes to finish
Crumble the yeast into a bowl, add the sugar and stout, and stir well.
Combine the flour, ground oats, toasted oat flakes, and salt in a large
mixing bowl. Rub in the fat with your fingertips, then make a well in the
center of the mixture, and pour in the stout mixture. Work all the
ingredients together to make a slightly soft dough. Knead thoroughly. Cover
bowl tightly and allow to rise in a cool place until doubled in size,
around 8 hours, or overnight. Punch down the dough and divide into two
equal pieces. Knead each piece for one minute to disperse the bubbles of
air, then shape into a boule. Dip the top side of each boule into the oat
flakes, then place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and allow to proof
until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake 25
minutes or until hollow when tapped underneath. The bread can be stored for
one week. (Said to make great toast!)