Oatmeal Molasses Bread

Oatmeal+Molasses=Great Bread!  (That is the teacher in me!)  I am always on the look out for a great recipe.  The problem with me is, I can't follow a recipe (most of the time).  I always tweak, add and just plain do my own thing.  That is how this recipe came about, but I must say, the results were worth it!

I had some left over whey in my refrigerator from when I made mozzarella cheese-check it out:

http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2013/02/mozzarella-cheese.html

I've read about what to do with whey.  Everything I've read says use it in your bread recipes, so I did!

Ingredients:

1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 cup oatmeal, plus 2 tablespoons to put on before baking
1 cup whey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

To begin, soak the oatmeal in the whey.  Let that sit for an hour or so.  When the oats are soft, you are ready to begin making the bread.

Put the water in your mixing bowl.  Combine the yeast and let that proof for 5 minutes.  This means you are activating the yeast.  You will know if your yeast is good if the water forms a little foam or bubbles. 

Put in the sugar, salt, oatmeal, whey, molasses, oil and about 3 cups of flour.  Make sure you have a dough hook on your mixer.  Start the mixer on speed 2.  Let the ingredients combine.  Add the remaining flour, a little at a time, until the dough forms into a ball on the dough hook.

Take the dough and put it in a lightly oiled bowl.  I set mine on the stove top, letting it warm.  Be sure to cover it with a towel.  That will help the dough remain fresh and not form a crust.

Let that rise for 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours.  It should double in size.  Punch the dough down and let it rise again, about 1 hour.  Punch it down again.

At this point you need to decide if you want one large loaf or two smaller loaves.  Prepare your loaf pan by spraying with PAM.  Put the dough in the pan and let it rise again - about 30 minutes.

Take a sharp knife and cut some slits into the top of the dough.  Brush some melted butter on the top of the loaves.  Sprinkle with oatmeal.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or so, or until the loaf is golden brown.

Enjoy!

This recipe is shared with:

Fabulous Fridays

Grand Pee Paw's Oatmeal Cookies

Yes, for those of you that know me, go ahead and start making fun.  I called my Grandpa Grand Pee Paw.  He was fun and died when I was way too young.

My Grand Pee Paw helping me hold the new terror of the family:  TONETTE!

Last week my husband and I were fortunate to travel to Hawaii.  Being in the islands reminded me of my Grand Pee Paw because he and my Nana used to live there.  I was fortunate enough to visit them twice when I was a child.  When you are young you don't appreciate your parents or your grandparents.  Looking back now, there are many things I remember and I wish I had appreciated them more while I was visting.

Karrie and Tonette, Grand Pee Paw and me on one of our visits to Hawaii

One of the things I remember about Grand Pee Paw was that he was always in the kitchen.  I remember that he had these HUGE kitchen mixers and he was always making bread.  When I started cooking my mom said I cooked just like him because I didn't clean up after myself as I cooked!

Unfortunately, my Grand Pee Paw was a cook with all of his recipes in his head.  The family has very few recipes of his.  One of the recipes we do have is his recipe for oatmeal cookies. 

My niece, Maria Tortilla, was here visiting and we decided to make his cookies.  Here are the ingredients (I'll post them at the end).

The first thing we did was put 1 cup of shortening in the mixer.  To this we added 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar.  Beat this together and add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons molasses.   Mix for 1 minute and add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger.

In another bowl assemble 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups oatmeal, 1 cup raisin bran flakes, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1 1/2 cup nuts.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Spoon the mixture onto a baking pan and bake for 13-14 minutes at 350 degrees.  When you take them out of the oven they will not look set.  Don't panic!  As the cookies cool, they will set. 

I remember the first time I made these cookies.  I took them out of the oven, called my mother and told her that there was no way this recipe was right.  She told me to simmer down, as she does in her Bertha way and told me that they would be fine.  She was right (as usual).  Give it a try!

Ingredients:  1 cup shortening
                     1 cup sugar
                     1 cup brown sugar
                     2 eggs
                     1 teaspoon vanilla
                     2 teaspoons molasses
                     1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
                     1 teaspoon salt
                     3 cups oatmeal
                     1 cup raisin bran flakes
                     1 teaspoon baking soda
                     1/2 cup raisins
                     1 1/2 cup nuts
                     1 tablespoon cinnamon
                     1 teaspoon nutmeg
                     1/2 teaspoon ginger