Dad’s Bread
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, divided
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1¾ cups spring water, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 large eggs
¼ cup Bread Dough Enhancer (recipe follows)
5 to 6 cups bread flour
In a large mixing bowl, place ½ cup brown sugar, oats, salt, and butter. Heat 1½ cups spring water just until it is hot (125°F) and pour over oat mixture. Stir to mix and allow to cool to about 110°F. (A thermometer is handy for this. You do not want the mixture so hot that it destroys the yeast or cooks the eggs.)
In a glass bowl or container, stir 1 tablespoon brown sugar into the remaining ¼ cup spring water. Stir yeast into this mixture and set in a warm spot (no hotter than 150°F) fo
