Maple Oatmeal Bread

I use quick-cooking imported Irish oatmeal for this recipe. The flavor of Irish-grown oats is the richest of any I have eaten, and the loaf retains a characteristic nubby texture. There is a good dose of maple syrup in this bread, the luscious sweetener made of the boiled-down sap of a maple tree—I like to taste its flavor distinctly in the finished loaf. I look for B Grade maple syrup, which is sometimes labeled “for baking.” It is a bit more concentrated, better for baking than for pourin