Molasses Oatmeal Bread

Sometimes good breads come in small packages. This bread was not a high-riser, but it certainly packed a lot of flavor! I may have used pans that were too large for the amount of dough. But looks aren’t everything, and I’ll eat a good slice of bread no matter what shape or size it comes in.

My kitchen is a mishmash of pots and pans that have been acquired from a vast array of sources, mostly one at a time. Nothing fancy and nothing that matches. Except for my two 9″ loaf pans, a gift from my mom. They are my new go-to pans for baking loaves of bread. Which is why I automatically reached for them when making this bread, even though the recipe suggested 8″ by 5″ pans. My 8″ pans look to be more like 8″ by 4″ and I didn’t want to have overflow issues with the dough. So 9″ pans it was.

I oiled the pans and sprinkled some oats inside. The dough came together easily, giving off a fabulous molasses and oatmeal aroma. I always love the depth of flavor that molasses adds. This bread is slightly sweet with a definite whole grain taste.

This bread has been submitted to Yeastspotting, a weekly bread showcase.

Molasses Oatmeal Bread
Adapted slightly from Yankee Magazine
Yield: 2 loaves

1 cup old-fashioned oats, plus extra for pans
1 3/4 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
4-5 cups whole wheat flour

Place the oats in a medium bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak at room temperature for one hour.

If you’d like to use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until it starts to bubble.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of your mixer, combine the oat mixture, yeast, water, molasses, salt, and canola oil. Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring well or beating with the paddle attachment of your mixer after each addition. Add enough flour so that the dough comes together into a ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes. Form it into a ball and place in a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes this time.

Grease two loaf pans (preferably 8″ pans) with canola oil and sprinkle with uncooked oats. Divide the dough into two halves. Gently flatten each half into a rectangle about 5″ x 7″. Starting with the long side, roll each dough rectangle up and gently seal the seam with your fingers. Place each loaf, seam side down, into a loaf pan. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°. When the loaves have risen sufficiently, bake them for 40-50 minutes. The bread will be a deep brown color and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove loaves from pans immediately and place on a cooling rack to cool.