Dad's Oatmeal Bread

Hello fellow foodie friends! Today's recipe project is Dad's Oatmeal Bread. My dad has been making this bread for as long as I can remember. It's one of my favorite things! He always made it for the church's annual Soup and Bread Dinner, along with loaves of white, anise, and sourdough. All are delicious, but the oatmeal was always the highlight for me.

Well, let's get the recipe out of the way first:
Dad's Oatmeal Bread (yields 4 loaves)
2 cups old-fashioned oats - not instant or quick, get the good stuff
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon salt
2 packages of dry yeast
1/2 cup water
8 cups of flour - go for bread flour or self-rising if you can; otherwise regular all-purpose works fine

Now, onto the steps. Keep in mind that this is a hands-on recipe - there are no bread machines allowed in the Smith Household. Besides, beating down the dough is a great way to release pent up frustrations or just get a good arm workout in. The entire process is going to take about 4-5 hours, so make sure you have a good span of time. It will be very worth it at the end!

1. Put the 4 cups of water on to boil.
2. Mix the oats, salt, molasses and margarine while waiting. When water is at a boil, add it to the oats and molasses mixture. It should look like this now:

3. Let it sit for about an hour, or until the mixture is more room temperature than hot. If it's too hot, it will kill your yeast, so don't rush this step. 
4. When the mixture is ready for the yeast, first mix the yeast and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a separate small bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Again, don't use hot water here. Just warm to the touch is good. The yeast will be bubbly if it's active. Like this:

 5. Once the yeast is ready, add it to the oat mixture. Then start adding the flour. I recommend using a wooden spoon and mixing by hand rather than using a dough attachment on an electric mixer. But if you have a mixer that cost you more than $12 bucks, maybe yours is more effective than mine. By the end of the flour addition, you'll need to get your hands in there and really mix it up. (This is the most fun for kids, in case you need to keep little hands busy.)

6. Once you've got it all mixed together, either leave it in the bowl and cover with a towel. Now go do something else for about an hour while it doubles in size. 

7. Beautiful! Okay, now you get to punch it down. I split it into four portions first because I'm working with a teeny little space. My dad turns the whole thing out and punches it around on the kitchen table. Once you've beat the heck out of it for a bit, do split it into four portions and distribute to four loaf pans or tins. Cover with a towel.
8. Now go do something else again for another hour while it doubles once more. Trust me, the waiting is all going to pay off! 
9. Bake it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. Try to peek at the bottom of one when you're getting close. If it looks too moist, keep it cooking for a bit. You want the crunch on the outside and a soft center. But you don't want a doughy center. 
10. By now, your whole house should smell divine. That's half the fun, if you ask me. Take the bread out if it's done and turn it out on a wire rack. Let it cool just a bit, but slice off a bit for the baker's spoils and enjoy as soon as possible. 


This bread keeps well in the freezer and reheats in the microwave wonderfully. I toss it in there about 30 seconds and it tastes like it just came out of the oven. The toaster works fine, too - though the slices I tend to cut are too thick for that. I love how the steam rushes out when you first cut into the loaf right out of the oven. (I usually can't wait long for my baker's spoils...)

I hope you love this as much as I do. It's a fall staple for me. Please feel free to leave me comments on your own experience if you give it a try. And if your dad has a great recipe for bread, I'd love to see that too! Bon appetit!