Feed Me Friday:  Oatmeal & Molasses Bread

This recipe just reminds me of simpler times. It fits right in as you Reflect and Simplify your life while Planning for a Great Year!  I originally found it in a Betty Crocker Baking Classics cookbook I found when we were first married … nearly 23 years ago!  I’m afraid I’ve neglected this old friend book in favor of things like AllRecipes.com.  It’s good to get the “oldies” out and remember simple, reliable recipes like this bread. It has a dense, almost chewy texture that’s perfect for winter days with gray skies. I like to match my food to the weather and the calendar, don’t you? I served this with Cheddar Chowder and a salad. Eaten with a friend and the family in front of the fireplace, it was fit for a king.

The only challenge in producing two simple loaves of Oatmeal & Molasses Bread might be in finding a 1 lb coffee can. After all, most coffee comes in a bag now!  I have a can I’ve saved, and they can be found. The recipe will work in a loaf pan, but according to my simple bread-loving husband Jeff, there’s something about baking in a can that makes it … BETTER. 🙂  So there.

Here’s the simple story of how to produce two warm, brown loaves of hearty bread in your kitchen. This slideshow will give you a visual of how these lovely loaves are born.

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• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
• 3 T. shortening
• 1/4 cup molasses (I use dark)
• 2 t. salt
• 1 T. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 egg white
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

Mix the boiling water, 1/2 c. oatmeal, shortening, molasses, and salt in a large bowl and let it cool a bit. You don’t want it hot, or it will kill the yeast. When it’s lukewarm, stir in the yeast, egg, and 1 1/2 c. flour. Beat the mixture on medium, being sure to blend all ingredients well. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 c. flour until it’s well combined.

Spray or grease 2-1 lb coffee cans.  Divide the dough into the two cans. Brush the top of the dough with egg white.

Mix 1/4 c. more oatmeal and 1/4 t. salt and then sprinkle that evenly over the dough in the 2 cans. Cover the cans with a tea towel in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. The dough should rise to about double by then. Heat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough finishes rising.

Bake the loaves for about 30-35 minutes until you can tap the top of the loaf and hear a hollow sound. If it’s getting too brown, cover it lightly with foil in the last 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the can for about 10 minutes. Take a sharp knife and run it around the inside of the can, shake the loaf gently, and remove it to a wire rack to cool further.

And while you’re enjoying this recipe for Oatmeal & Molasses Bread this weekend, take a look at how to Reflect and Simplify as you plan your approach to 2013!