Sweet Honey Oat French Bread

This bread is really amazing it holds up to buttering without crumbling yet is still soft and not cardboard tough! My wife and I usually make it to go with a meal involving tomato sauce, or any thing yummy the bread can soak up! Its a great bread to eat all on its own too!

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1 pinch white sugar

7 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp. shortening

2 cups warm water

2 (3x9) loaf pans

shortening to grease the loaf pans and flour to coat

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 handful of oats

Directions:

1. Add sugar and yeast packages to 1 cup warm water, let sit for 5-10 minutes or until foamy

2. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients, add yeast mixture and mix well until dough comes together. (dough will be sticky) we add cooking spray or shortening on our hands to get all the dough out of the bowl

3. Place dough in a large well greased bowl, cover with a warm damp towel and set aside in warm area, (usually on the stovetop, Not On!)

Let dough rise to double. about 1 hour.

4. Grease and flour coat loaf pans. Spray or grease hands, split dough in 1/2 and spread each 1/2 to the waiting loaf pans. Cover with warm damp towel and let dough rise again, about 30 minutes, meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

5. Place loaf pans in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and while still hot, brush with melted butter and sprinkle top with oats. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.