Oatmeal Bread With Molasses

If you're not going to eat the oatmeal that's been sitting in your pantry since last January when you swore as a resolution to eat healthier-you might as well bake bread with it!

I hesitate to call any recipe "foolproof" but this is pretty darn difficult to ruin.


You Will Need:

2 ¼ teaspoons granulated yeast
½ cup warm water
1-cup oats (quick cooking ok)
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup mild molasses
1-tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups boiling water
5-6 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to proof.

In a large mixing bowl combine everything EXCEPT the bread flour. Mix well and let sit until lukewarm. Add yeast and half of the flour. Turn out on a board and add remaining flour gradually. You may not need all of it-the dough should be tacky but not sticky. Place in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (1 ½ -2 hours). De-gas gently and divide into two loaves. Place in buttered loaf pans. Brush tops lightly (or mist) with water and sprinkle with dry oatmeal. Cover and let rise until just about doubled (about 40 minutes). Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. The loaves should sound hollow when rapped with knuckles. Cool on racks. This bread freezes well, but must be completely cooled first. To preserve bread in freezer, wrap first in waxed paper and then in plastic wrap, sealing tightly. I do not like plastic bags for most breads-but the waxed paper/plastic wrap combination seems to do the trick.