Oatmeal Molasses Bread

I was in a rage to bake something the other night. Since it was far too late to do such a thing, I went to bed reading a baking book. I scanned over page after page of different recipes, reading ingredients, and instructions, tips, and the like. I just have a major love for cooking/baking in the kitchen. Besides telling children stories, and simply spending time with my family, it's my favorite thing to do on an every day basis.

So, the very next day, I woke up early. (6:30 am) I went to work out with my parents and older Sister, had a huge coffee, and then came home with such a motivation to get things done. ( I think I should actually thank the coffee for the motivation. Any time I drink a coffee, I am sort of hyper and energetic. *blush* -It's true! ) After all of my chore responsibilities were completed, I hit the kitchen, turned on the music, and began baking! 

I started with some Oatmeal Molasses Bread. 

This time it is actually a RECIPE.

 Start out with 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats.    

......Oats?  Who would have thought? lol.

 Pour 2 1/3 cups of boiling water over it.

 Bring 'Grandma's molasses' and some butter to the picture please.    ....thanks. :)
Add  1/2 cup of unsalted butter, (I just used salted, because that is what "normal" people have on hand, and it tastes fabulous anyhow.) and 1/3 cup of unsulfured molasses.

 Pour it in...

 ...and, please. You can get creative with it. Not everything has to be ordinary. ;p

 Let it set, and cool down to warm. (105- 115 degrees.)

 Put 2 packages of yeast in there. (5 teaspoons)

 *grins*

 After it sets there for several minutes, start pouring the rest of the good stuff in, like 3 cups of flour..

 ...and 2 teaspoons of Sea Salt.
Mix that all up, then add another 2-3 cups of flour as needed for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl. 

 Now, most people mix this stuff up in a mixer, (and to tell the truth, I've done that for forever) but today I wanted to hand kneed it. There IS a difference. And anyways, I like the feeling. It's the feeling of accomplishment, and "home making" I guess.
..and it's a good work out. :D
Kneed the dough until it is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

 *smiles* This is my little "nook" for cooking normally. There is the CD player above, and my book holder, (which is actually what is supposed to be holding the rolling pin) and then the mixer, and my cooking tools. It is the smallest counter space we have, and it's my favorite. :)

 Back to the bread-
You put it in a greased bowl, and let it rise in a warm place. (we have a "bread rising" setting in our oven that I use. ) This step takes about an hour to accomplish.

 It should grow to be twice as big as it was before.

Cut it in half and roll each half  into a loaf, and then press them into greased pans till they touch all the sides.

 Let it raise again. (hour)

Mist the tops of the loaves with water, and then sprinkle the good oats on top. Yeah...like that.
Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and pre-heat to 375 degrees.  Bake until they are golden brown, and sound hallow when you tap them on the top.  It usually takes about 40 -45 minutes.  When they're done, remove them from the pan, and let them cool on wire racks.

 *drum roll* ta-da! wa-la. A master piece! Thank you. Thank you very much.

 Oh, it was absolutely perfect.

 So, as tradition, I had to take photos of it all done up. x) What do you think? Silver platters too much?

Well, I hope you enjoy this heavenly bread as much as my family and I have.
Thank y'all for taking the time to read this post. That's awful nice. :)

-JessicaCynthia


Note: some of you might not know why you have to mist the tops of your bread with water before baking it.
This is why-
The steam created from the misting, encourages a better rise in the oven (called "oven spring") and also helps set the crust, brown the bread, and ensure a glossy finish.
It is also important to cool the bread immediately. The rack allows air to circulate around the loaf, preventing steam from softening the bottom. Make sure the bread is fully cooled before cutting into it. This ensures that the steam created during baking remains inside the loaf, and keeps the bread moist.

Thanx! -Jess :)