Yield: 2 loaves

Warm the buttermilk for a few seconds in the microwave or in a pan over low heat until lukewarm. Remove it from thee heat. Stir in the oats and honey, then set aside while you gather the rest of the ingredients.

Combine the flour, salt, yeast and butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Add in the oats and buttermilk mixture, and mix on low until a rough ball forms. Switch to the bread hook and knead the dough on medium for 6 minutes. You should have a soft, dense dough that is slightly tacky, but not sticky.

Form into a ball and put it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.

Grease two 8” x 4” loaf pans with butter. If you have it, line the pans with parchment so that the honey-glaze doesn’t stick to the pans.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured counter, press each piece into a rectangle about 5” x 8”. Starting on the shorter end of each rectangle, roll up the dough and use your thumbs to pinch the seam closed after rolling up each roll. Then gently rock and roll the loaf to even it out but do not taper the ends.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pans. Ensure the loaf touches both ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel and set aside to rise a second time, until the dough is doubled in size and cresting the top of the pans, about 1-1½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

For the glaze: Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat or for a few seconds in the microwave. Then stir in the honey and brush the tops of both loaves gently. Then sprinkle a few oats on top of each loaf.

Put the loaves into the oven, then immediately lower the heat to 350 F. Bake 45-50 minutes, turning and rotating the pans halfway through.

Remove the loaves from the oven and immediately remove them from the pans. Cool on a rack for at least 60 minutes before slicing.

Ith gu leòir! (Eat Plenty)

Tips:

- No buttermilk? Stir 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into 2¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons milk. Let it sit 5 minutes. Voilà! You now have clabbered milk which is a good substitute for buttermilk in baking.

- Substitute 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast in place of instant.

- This dough is easily made by hand, instead of with a stand mixer. Knead for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured counter.

- If you keep your house on the cold side, try rising your bread on top of a toaster oven set on low, or next to the wood stove if you have one.

- Once the dough is split in half, shaped and in the pan, wrap the loaves you want to save for later tightly with plastic wrap. These loaves will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Remove them from the fridge about 4 hours before baking to give the dough time to rise. Defrost frozen loaves on the counter overnight, then unwrap and bake the risen dough off in the morning.