Oatmeal Bread

The other day when I was snowed in yet again, I decided to sort through the stack of books beside my bed.  I came across an article about the health benefits of oatmeal, and how it is considered to have anti-depressive properties. That got me thinking about my mom's oatmeal rolls--moist and chewy inside with just a hint of crispiness in the crust. They suddenly seemed like the perfect antidote to my gloomy mood.  I dug out the recipe and got to work.  I took some shortcuts, like making a loaf instead of rolls, and only adding flour until the dough felt firm (about four cups plus a couple tablespoons).  And I used a bundt pan because it was the first pan I grabbed.  But here's the real recipe:

1 cup oats                              3 tbls soft butter                        2 cup boiling water
2 pkg yeast dissolved in 1/3 cup warm water & 1 tsp sugar         1 tbls sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar               1 1/2 tsp salt                              5 cup flour

Pour boiling water over oats and butter.  Stir and cool.  Add sugars, salt, and proofed yeast.  Knead in flour.  Rise 1 hour, punch down.  Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Form rolls and put in greased 9"x 13" pan.  Rise 20 min., bake 20 min.

Here's a grilled-cheese sandwich I made a few days later using the remainder of the bread.   I just made a sandwich using some cheese slices, buttered the bread generously, and grilled it.  It then became pure ooey-gooey goodness.  I felt great eating it, even though I can't prove it was the oatmeal that did it.  But I mean really, how could this treat not brighten your mood?