Bread baking: A correction and a tip

After I sent my bread recipe out, I got the usual—which is to say unusual and unpredictable—mix of responses. People react all sorts of ways to this stuff. But two are worth passing along:

An error. The recipe calls for one cup of oatmeal (plus a bit more for topping the loaves at the end). But the text refers to a second cup of oatmeal. One is enough. Doesn’t matter whether you add it to the sponge on Day One, or to the actual dough on Day Two, as long as it goes in. Oatmeal is not a necessary ingredient—only white and wheat flour are necessary—but it sure makes things nice.

A suggestion. I put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The reason is to create a steamy atmosphere, which does nice things for the crust. But a pan of water is less effective than the advice found here: https://www.thekitchn.com/food-Hscience-tip-add-steam-whe-76586

Happy baking &

Cheers,