Recipe: Oatmeal Bread

Mom's Oatmeal Bread
alt.bread.recipes/Cardstock (2001)

I got this bread recipe from my mom about 30 years ago. It is a favorite in our household and with others I have shared it with over the years. It is a wonderful, moist, flavorful bread and bakes consistently well time and time again. Hope you enjoy it. - J. Carlson

3 cups boiling water
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
5 to 6 cups flour (half bread flour and half whole wheat gives the best
flavor)
4 to 6 tbsp unsulphured molasses (I use Grandma's brand)
3 tbsp oil
1 pkg yeast
2 tsp salt

Pour boiling water over oatmeal. Add molasses, oil and salt and let cool to lukewarm.

While mixture is cooling, put yeast in measuring cup containing 1/4 cup warm water.

When mixture is lukewarm, add yeast. Stir in two cups of white flour. Let rest 10 minutes.

Add rest of flour gradually. When most of the flour has been added, turn out on a floured bread board or counter top. Knead about 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. This is a rather sticky dough; do not add too much flour.

Place bread in smaller bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Cover with damp towel and let rise in warm place until doubled (oven with oven light on works well). This will take about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again. This will take about 45 minutes.

Put in bread pans sprayed with cooking spray. Cover, and let rise until doubled. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes until well browned. Rub loaves with butter after removing from oven.

This bread freezes extremely well.