Oatmeal Molasses Bread

Sorry I haven't posted very often lately. Life has gotten kind of busy with my daughter turning 6 and throwing her a party and then just every day things that come with having 4 kids. This blog got put on the back burner for a while. I'll make it up to you, I promise (talking strawberry cake, almond cheesecake, and mini crab cakes). I have some fabulous recipes coming for you! I got a new Bosch mixer (I had a Kitchen Aid before) for Valentine's Day (yes, I am spoiled, what's your point?), so I have been loving using it! Any excuse I can find to use it, I jump at baking something (even more so than before).

This is one of my husband's favorite bread recipes that I make. I used to make bread over dry by adding too much flour to it and couldn't figure out why it was always SO dense. Now that I have it figured out, it almost always comes out good. This doesn't have the texture of oatmeal at all... it kind of just blends into the bread and gives it the flavor of oatmeal. This recipe makes 2 loaves, so if you only want one, half it.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon salt
5 3/4 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 beaten eggs
Extra rolled oats
1 beaten egg white
1 Tablespoon water

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Let rest 5 minutes. In stand mixer, combine boiling water, 1 cup rolled oats, molasses, butter, and salt; cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups of the flour, beat well. Add the softened yeast mixture and 2 beaten eggs and beat well. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Knead in your mixer (or by hand) until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch the dough down, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half by either using a serrated knife to cut it in half or pulling it apart with your hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Coat two well-greased loaf pans and sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons rolled oats for each pan and then shake around until the pan is lightly coated. 

Shape dough into loaves and place in pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (45 to 60 minutes). Brush loaves with a mixture of egg white and water. Sprinkle tops lightly with rolled oats. Bake at 3:75 degrees until done, about 40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes if tops are browning rapidly. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cook Book