Honey Oatmeal Bread

2 cups hot (not boiling) water
1 1/4 cups quick oats

Mix and let set for 5 minutes.

3 eggs beaten
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup warm water

Add to oat mixture and let set for 5 more minutes.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons lecithin (optional)
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
7-8 cups white flour

Mix in slowly with a bread hook and knead about 7-8 minutes.  Turn into a greased bowl and let raise and punch down 3 times.  Form into 3-4 loaves and let raise again.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

This is a sluggish bread dough.  It raises quite slowly.  This doesn't mean you did something wrong---it just takes a while to raise.  The lecithin makes a softer bread, and the flax seed add some nutritional value.  I've made the bread with or without them.