Secret Recipe Club: Whole Wheat Oatmeal Molasses Bread

Happy Reveal Day!! It's another edition of Secret Recipe Club, and for the month of June I had a blast meandering through Renee's blog Kudo's Kitchen.

I enjoyed reading about Renee - a mom to two grown son's, and wife for 30 plus years to a lucky man! She is very artistic and creative, and it was a joy to browse through both her painted art and kitchen art! Her comments about her sons appreciating her kitchen creativity now that they're grown has given me hope - my 15 year old is starting to get more comfortable in the kitchen but I still get plenty of eye rolls and exasperated faces (from him and my husband!!) when something new is (yet again) on the menu.

Just a FEW of the delectable treats that snagged my attention: Orange Honey Crescent Rolls, Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Scones, Cheddar Chive Biscuits,  Applesauce Cinnamon Chip Muffins, Chicken, Bacon, Avocado Calzones, and Chicken Beer Bake with Almonds!

Those are all seriously on my "I need to make these in the near future list"... I think I could have browsed and saved recipes for another couple hours if I'd let myself (I didn't even get all the way through 2014, much less into 2013 or later!!) I opted for something that had an ingredient that I just recently used for the first time in forever - molasses. I have had a container in my pantry for quite awhile (purchased for I don't even remember what, and then forgotten about and not even opened). I used it in this salmon recipe recently, and when I saw Whole Wheat Oatmeal Molasses Bread on Renee's site I said yes please!

Everyone in our house is VERY happy that this is the recipe I picked - it is absolutely fantastic. My husband and son both devoured two pieces fresh from the oven, and wanted more but we behaved ourselves (somewhat) and stopped after the two pieces. I had one first thing the next morning, toasted with some butter... mmm... This is a delicious, chewy, hearty bread with a hard to describe texture. Somewhere between a normal yeast bread and something like a quick bread or beer bread. The smell is dark and fragrant, but the taste is mild and just right. We will definitely use this one again!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Molasses Bread

Ingredients
2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm milk (110 - 115 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups boiling water
2 cups quick-cooking oats
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a small bowl, heat the milk and then stir in the yeast and sugar until dissolved. Set aside and allow yeast to proof.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add the oatmeal and then pour the boiling water over top; stir gently to combine. Allow to rest 10 minutes so the water is absorbed and then stir in the butter, molasses, and the salt.
3. In a third large bowl (I used the mixer of my Kitchen Aid), add in the all purpose and whole wheat flours, and combine. Next, add in the oatmeal mixture, stir a few times to begin blending and then add in the yeast mixture. Stir well, the dough is very heavy and thick. (I used the dough hook, and allowed it to blend for about 5 minutes to try to blend well and incorporate as much flour as possible). If you're not using a Kitchen Aid, knead thoroughly.
4. Put the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise for approximately an hour in a warm environment. (I poured the dough out onto the counter, got rid of the excess flour in the bowl, poured in some oil and then put the dough back in).
5. After the dough has risen, punch the dough down and pour dough onto a lightly floured surface (if the dough feels sticky, if not, the extra flour isn't necessary). Cut into 2 portions, shape into 2 loaves. Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray, place dough in the pans, cover and allow to rise a second time for 45 - 60 minutes.
6. During the last 15 minutes of the rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees. When dough has risen, place in the preheated oven and bake 50 - 60 minutes or until golden, and they should sound hollow when tapped.
7. Cool the loaves in their pans for about 15 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. (Then try not to eat it all at once!)

 

My sweet girl is already 9 months old! Where is the time going??!

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