Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking (not instant) oats divided (I pulsed mine in the blender to grind them up a bit)
- 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour or white whole-wheat flour (see Tip)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 8-ounce container (scant 1 cup) nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup clover honey or other mild honey
- 3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
Directions:
1. Position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Generously coat a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oats in the pan. Tip the pan back and forth to coat the sides and bottom with oats; set aside another 1 tablespoon oats for garnishing the loaf.
2. Thoroughly stir together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, beat together the remaining 1 cup oats, yogurt, egg, oil and honey in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir in milk. Gently stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture just until thoroughly incorporated but not overmixed (excess mixing can cause toughening). Immediately scrape the batter into the pan, spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon oats over the top.
3. Bake the loaf until well browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (It's normal for the top to crack.) Let stand in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around and under the loaf to loosen it and turn it out onto the rack. Let cool until barely warm, about 45 minutes.
Tip: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. Two companies that distribute the flour nationally are King Arthur Flour (kingarthurflour.com) and Bob's Red Mill (bobsredmill.com).
