A shout-out to the Mennonites

Combine above in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour over the mixture: 2 cups boiling water Stir to combine, and let cool to lukewarm. Combine in a small measuring cup: 1 pkg (about 2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water Add to the oatmeal batter once it has cooled. Then stir in (or add, then mix using the dough hook on your mixer): 5 cups flour (any combination of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose, though I wouldn’t go more than 3 cups of whole wheat) Knead by hand, or in your mixer for about 8 minutes (longer if you’re kneading by hand). If kneading by mixer, stop it 2-3 times, remove the dough, and rearrange it in the bowl for more even kneading. The dough should be somewhat stiff, but also still cling to your fingers a bit. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise until doubled (45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen). Remove risen dough, and divide into equal halves. Knead each half into a ball, and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. In the meantime, grease two loaf pans with shortening. Shape the loaves and place into pans. Cover, and let rise about an hour (preheat your oven to 350º about 45 minutes into this rising). Place pans on lower-middle rack, and bake 40 minutes. Remove baked loaves from pans, and cool completely on a rack before slicing.