Few things bring as much comfort as the smell and taste of Grandma Bell’s homemade bread.
Couldn’t we all use a little comfort food these days?
I’ve been so worried about what is going on all over the world, and tonight thru tomorrow we’re in for about a foot or more of snow. Seems like the perfect time to share this nostalgic (for me) recipe that my Grandma Bell used to make often when us grandkids were visiting.
Grandma Bell was a local celebrity when it came to her baking, and I’ll be sharing several of her recipes as time goes on. This was a favorite of hers to send to fundraising bake sales, and it ALWAYS was one of the first things to sell out!
I can remember the smell of her kitchen as it baked, and the delight of getting the first warm slice (hopefully of the heal) slathered with real butter.
My loaves still don’t turn out quite as perfect as hers, but practice makes perfect! Bread baking is definitely an art, so don’t be discouraged if they don’t turn out perfect the first time.
A couple pointers-
- If you don’t cool the oatmeal mixture enough, the heat will kill the yeast when you add it. Make sure everything is just luke warm.
- You may not need all of the flour, just add and kneed (mix) it in until the dough is tacky but does not stick to your hands or the bowl.
- Make sure to kneed at least 8-10 minutes. You want to toughen the dough so that when it raises, it is tough enough to hold the structure. I used to always try and skimp on this and my dough never would rise enough.
- Don’t over-raise, or it will fall.
- Make sure there are no drafts or vibrations that will make the dough fall.
Please give it a try and let me know how it turns out!!!
Grandma’s Scotch Oatmeal Bread
Equipment
- 2 Bread Pans
- 1 Large bowl
- Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1/4 Cup Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1/4 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil plus more for greasing pans and brushing bread when done
- 3 Tbsp Molasses black strap or other dark variety
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
- 1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 2-3 Cups All Purpose Flour I make sure to use organic unbleached
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid mixer, or large bowl if you don't have a mixer, combine oatmeal, sugar, salt, butter, molasses and boiling water.Cool to lukewarm
- In a small bowl, combine yeast and warm water, stirring until the yeast is dissolved.Add the yeast mixture to the oatmeal mixture once the oatmeal mixture is cooled to lukewarm.
- With the dough hook on the mixer, or by hand with a sturdy spoon, add wheat flour, one cup at a time, and then white flour until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl and is slightly tacky to the touch. Kneed for 8-10 min with the mixer or by hand, until smooth and elastic. When you poke the dough with your finger, it should spring right back most of the way.
- Take a large warm bowl and pour in olive oil.Place the dough in the bowl turning to coat the outside. Cover the bowl with a towel and place it in a warm place away from drafts to raise until doubled in size. I like to put it in the oven with the oven light on. This usually takes about an hour and a half to two and a half hours depending on how warm the area is.
- Oil and flour the bread pans while the dough is raising to prepare for the next steps.
- Gently turn the dough out of the bowl and cut it in half. Gently shape into two loaves, tucking the edges of the dough underneath, and place the dough into two loaf pans.Place in a warm area, covered with the towel and let raise until doubled in size again, another 1-1.5 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (take the loaves out if they are in there to rise lol)Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Once done baking, turn the loaves out of the pans and brush them with butter all over. Enjoy! Let me know what your think if you try it!
6 responses to “Grandma’s Homemade Bread Therapy- 2/21/22”
Looks delicious! You learned well! Every Sunday your Grandma’s kitchen was like a bakery! Bread, buns, sticky buns…cream pies! She was an awesome baker…plus everything else she did so well. And you are following her footsteps.
I had good training! ?
I hope to try this. Don’t know when though.
Let me know how it turns out!
I made bread today too! And made butter from your cows ? it was all amazing ❤️
Yum! What kind of bread?