Marguerites and Hamelman’s Oatmeal Bread with Cinnamon and Raisins

Half of the Bear-guette dough I made yesterday (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23742/baguette-and-variations-junior) was refrigerated overnight.  This morning I commenced to make a couple Marguerites.  I cut one of the pieces too big and decided to trim it, and the piece I trimmed off looked so much like a leaf, that I had a rare moment of creative inspiration.  Why, I said to myself, doesn’t a Marguerite deserve a stem and leaves?   Not having a good answer, I decided to try some decorative baking (not something I expect to be good at).  Here are the results.

I also tried a new breakfast loaf today—Hamelman’s Oatmeal Bread with Cinnamon and Raisins.   The recipe makes more than enough for three loaves, and I discovered I only had two loaf pans. So, on the spur of the moment, I decided to make Oatmeal-Raisin-Cinnamon buns.  I dipped them in butter, rolled them in cinnamon sugar and let them grow together in a Pyrex pan, as pull-aparts.  Because I baked them with the loaves at 450F, they scorched a bit, but they are super yummy.  And because they have whole wheat and oats, they’re health food!  I will try this variation again, baked at a lower temperature.

I also baked a small loaf of the Cinnamon-Raisin-Oatmeal Bread (probably about  6 ounces) as a free form mini-batard.  It came out very nice, too.

All in all, a good day’s bake.

I did notice that one of my loaves seemed a bit grouchy.  I imagine he’s not excited about his prospects.

Or maybe he was peeved that we hadn’t taken him with us to see the wild flowers at Russian Gulch State Park.

Glenn