I bet you thought I was fickle and that the love affair with my bread machine wouldn’t last. Well ye of little faith take notice, I haven’t stopped baking bread in this fantastic contraption since I first posted about it back in December. In fact, it’s become a bi-weekly and occasionally tri-weekly event. The tightening in the seat and thighs of my jeans can certainly attest to the truth in this statement.
A bread machine is perfect for someone like me who hates the messiness and time consuming monotony of baking bread “in the wild.” I applaud those of you who like this sort of activity. Frankly I’d rather read a book, play Animal Crossing, or any other number of activities that don’t leave me covered in flour from head to toe.
Obviously when I was growing up my mom made “real” bread. My favorite of her many recipes was a Molasses Oatmeal bread that toasted beautifully, had a subtly sweet taste and a lovely light caramel color. After having such amazing success with the basic white bread recipe, I decided to be brave and attempt to adapt her recipe for the bread machine. The outcome is an addictive bread that takes me straight back to the bygone days of Saturday morning cartoons and She-Ra pajamas. I can think of very few things that I find more satisfying than two thick slices of this bread hot from the toaster and generously coated in real butter. I hope you enjoy it!
Molasses Oatmeal Bread Machine Recipe
3 cups of bread flour (Erin’s Note: If the dough ball is too moist during the first kneading cycle add a little more flour. If it’s too crumbly, be sure to add a few additional drops of water).
1 package of yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 eggs
Incorporate the above ingredients into the bowl of your bread machine per the manufacturer’s instructions. For my particular bread machine I add all of the wet ingredients first (water, molasses, butter, egg). Then I add the dry ingredients next (flour, oats, salt) and end by pressing a small indentation into the flour with my finger. This is where you place the yeast. I use the machine’s “Basic Setting” and select the 1.5 pound loaf option. Finally, I press “Start” and go about my business. Once the bread is baked, I coat the top of the hot loaf with butter and remove the bread machine bowl to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to serve this bread toasted and spread very liberally with real butter.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
She-Ra was the best!
Bread looks fantastic…you are seriously making me want to get a bread machine! Especially to make this very loaf – it sounds so interesting and I love molasses!
I can almost smell it from here. Wish I had a piece!
The crumb on that looks really good. The thing I always hate about bread machine loaves is the crust (my favorite part).
Does your machine make a satisfyingly crusty crust, or is that something that the machines just aren’t meant for?
My machine is gathering dust in the basement. I’m hooked on beer bread. No fuss, no muss, and fresh bread in an hour.
But it’s making me lazy… need to break out of this winter slump and try something like your mo/oat bread.
Nice camera work, by the way.
This looks terrific. Makes me want to break out my bread machine in the basement, still new and sealed in package.. BTW, I passed 2 awards onto you, please pick them up XXXOOO
A bread machine is SO going on my Christmas wishlist.
I bet this tastes amazing. I would love to make some French Toast with this!
Is it sad that I forgot I had a bread machine?
There is something so therapeutic about being covered in flour though
this looks delicious ! This bread is perfect
This bread is my favorite. Think I will have to whip some up this week-end. Once you use the bread machine you will never go back to hand mixing! And think you didn’t use for a long time after you recieved such a wonderful gift.
I love homemade bread, especially oatmeal bread.I wish I had some now!BTW, I left some awards for you at my blog!
Erin – I’ve made two loaves in my bread machine and while one was so so, the other – man, I used that delay cycle and it was a BRICK! Note to self, do not use that Krusteaz mix. I’ll see if I can attempt this one this weekend because I’m refusing to buy another mix and just do it from scratch.
If I could offer some advice. Take your yeast, packet or measured amount, and some warm water. Combine them and let them set aside as you gather your ingredients. By the time you have combined all other ingredients the yeast should be dissolved, or woken, and ready to pitch.
This will help the rising in a bread machine.
Judging by the size of your loaf it was probably fairly heavy.
I had this same problem for ever with my bread machine until I stared brewing beer and took some lessons from that and applied it to bread, given they are both fermentation of yeast. It worked out well, needless to say I no longer use a bread machine and just do it all by hand. Only really requires 10 minutes of needing the rest is just waiting.
Princess of Power Pj’s?! Ha!! I’ll one up ya there. She-Ra sleepin’ bag. Ooh yeah. The cloth kind made especially for Saturday morning cartoons. Booyah.
Erin! I just wanted to tell you while I don’t usually bake, you’ve inspired me to start giving it a try. Usually The Oven + Jaime = Spectacular Disaster, but I’m hoping to change my luck.
I remember a while back you mentioned that you bake for Chris’s Monday meetings, and I thought I’d start doing that for Kelly (who also has meetings every Monday). Do you have any recommendations for recipes or cookbooks that result in fairly simple and yummy treats?
I am going to start this Monday off with some brownies from a box. I had a recipe for brownies from Martha Stewart Living magazine that I was all excited about, but then I realized it called for 8 sticks (!) of butter. I don’t want to give anyone a heart attack or anything.
I so want a piece ERIN! I am a huge bread baby…. can you send me a some?
zesty
I love making bread in my machine and that recipe looks great! I was wondering if there is a version for a 2-lb loaf? Mine only makes the giant loaves, thanks!
-kristen
Did you accidently leave out the sugar. Can’t imagine bread without a little. Otherwise it looks terrific. Let me know. thanks
Roberta,
In this recipe the molasses acts as “sugar.” It’s acidic and very sweet so it activates the yeast just fine.
Enjoy the bread!
Hi Erin,
I’ve just used my newly bought bread machine (a Kenwood BM 250) for the first time today and baked a 500g loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. The result was quite satisfactory. I followed the recipe booklet and used sugar, though I’d prefer using molasses instead. The reason why I didn’t do so was that I was not sure if molasses can replace sugar entirely as far as yeast activation is concerned. So my question is, does molasses activate yeast (I used dried yeast) as much and good as sugar, so that I can replace sugar with molasses completely? Or do I have to keep a portion of the sugar? And what is the ratio/proportion if molasses is to be used to replace sugar for baking whole wheat bread with yeast dough?
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers
Grace
Grace,
Yes, the molasses will activate the yeast much like sugar. As you can see from this recipe I used molasses entirely in this bread. I’m not sure if a 1 to 1 ratio of molasses can be used instead of sugar in all bread recipes though. You may want to google that or simply experiment a bit. I hope you enjoy your new bread machine!