Molasses Brown Bread

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Molasses brown bread is comfort food for me — moist and chewy, slightly sweet, and pairs perfectly with a bowl of baked beans.

Since most of us are now sheltering at home and practising social distancing, due to COVID-19, this is the perfect time to dust off that bread maker hiding in your kitchen cabinet. This recipe is designed for use with a 1.5 lb bread maker. Let your machine do all the hard work for you!

In my opinion, bread maker bread is so much better when baked in the oven, so that is what this recipe suggests. It’s an easy and frugal way to make beautiful loaves at home!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp fancy molasses
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1-1/2 tsp bread machine yeast or “instant” yeast

Combine ingredients in the order given. Select “Dough Setting” on your machine. Start the cycle.

Tip: While your dough is mixing, place a pot of warm water inside your oven, and heat it to 170F. Turn off oven and keep the door closed. This turns your oven into a “proofer” for the second rise of your dough. Remove the pot of water before preheating to bake.

When your machine is done, remove the dough from the pan. Gently flatten it into an approximately 6” x 9” rectangle on a lightly floured surface. The dough will be a little sticky — this is absolutely okay! Fold one long side into the middle and carefully squish it into place, then fold the other long side over the middle and pinch the seams closed, tucking the ends underneath to create a smooth surface.

Place the shaped dough into a greased bread pan (I love my cast-iron ones for stuff like this), cover the top of the loaf with a piece of greased parchment paper, and place a damp tea towel on top of the parchment. Put the pan inside your oven (or into another warm, draft-free place), and allow it to rise until doubled (approximately 20 - 30 min).

Remove the rising dough from the oven, and preheat to 375F.

Bake bread for 30 min, or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool completely before slicing.