We’ve always gotten along really well. We like a lot of the same things and have been able to take interest in the other’s hobbies. He won’t bake but he’ll whip up a mean meat sauce for pasta. He’ll also sit at the island and taste a goodie from dough/batter to finished product.

I’ll hang out while he kills zombies and watch him direct his minions to run around and hunt for treasure. And I’ll pick up a controller to help him get passed a really tough level.

That doesn’t meant that we always agree on everything, though. Peyton or Tom? Locatelli’s or Candelari’s? Barolo or shiraz? Astros or Braves? Windows or Linux? White or wheat? That’s one thing we definitely don’t agree on: sandwich bread.

He’s a white bread kind of guy. But not just any white bread will do (sorry, Sunbeam). It has to be chewy and firm, not soft. And salty, not sweet. His favorite sandwich bread is the ciabatta recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.

It’s a good ciabatta, definitely my favorite recipe for ciabatta. But when it comes to sandwich bread…

I’m a wheat bread kind of girl. But not any wheat bread will do (sorry, Nature’s Own). It has to be soft, not chewy or firm. And preferably sweeter than nutty or salty. My favorite sandwich bread is the Buttermilk Oatmeal bread recipe from The Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook.

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Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

Oatmeal keeps this light and fluffy wheat bread moist for days.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp + 2 Tbsp agave (divided)
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (extra light)
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Set aside 1/4 cup rolled oats. Place the remaining oats into a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Mix with spoon and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Whisk 1 tsp agave with 1/4 cup of warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add soaked oats, buttermilk, oil, 2 Tbsp agave, both flours, and salt. With hook attachment, mix on low speed to combine, then increase speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes. Dough will be wet and cling to hook, but have a satiny finish.
3. Place dough in an oiled bowl and over with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm area for 1 hour, the dough will almost double in size.
4. Place dough onto a floured surface and flatten it with your hands, releasing excess air bubbles. Form dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle and position it so that a long side is facing you. Fold the 2 short ends onto the top so they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll dough away from you into a log. Let loaf rest on its seam for a few minutes.
5. Transfer loaf to an oiled 10-inch loaf pan (if your pan measures 8-9 inches, consider dividing it into two loaves - this is a big loaf of bread!), pressing dough into the corners. Mix remaining agave with 1/2 tsp very hot water. Brush over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with the remaining oats. Let sit for 35-45 minutes, until loaf rises just over the top of the pan.
6. While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 385. Bake for 1 hour and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Yields: 1 large loaf, or 2 medium loaves

Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook

Estimated time: 3 hours