Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Oatmeal Raisin Brown Bread




Oatmeal Raisin Brown Bread.... our most favourite bread ... it takes a bit of trial & error to work out recipes to your liking and I finally have this one worked out.... It is really simple & delicious.... takes less than 5 min. to put it together

I use a breadmaker to mix it & do the first raising... while I work up in the studio... must be what having a maid feels like...

1½ C. water - lukewarm- so not to kill your yeast
2 Tbsp.milk powder
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1½ tsp. sea salt
3½ C. flour ( I use ½ unbleached and ½ whole wheat although it tastes great using all whole wheat too.. just a little denser)
¾ C. quick cooking oatmeal
2-3 tsp. dry yeast

Just as it starts to mix in the breadmaker,

toss in ½ C. raisins... Feel free to add a few Tbsp. of your favorite nuts or grains for flavor & texture .... I have been using Flax seed, ground and whole, Salba, sesame and Sunflower seeds.... a small handfull of 12 grain cereal is nice too...

....this first portion of kneading and rising takes 1½ hours but the machine does all that. Then take it out and shape it into a slightly flattened round ball, (sometimes I shape it into a long loaf) , roll it to and fro on your greased cookie sheet.... cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm draft free place...a sunny window sill works well... if it isn't sunny I sit it near the woodstove...






 Bake in preheated 375º F. oven for 25 min.... this time works for me but as all ovens are a bit different in temperature... check it every now and  then to see if it is done..

....this bread tastes as good as the aroma that emanates through the house... it goes with everything....yogurt, fruit, home made soup, beans...

.... and is just plain delicious all by itself...

9 comments:

sandy said...

That sounds delicious but even more delicious looking is the room that it is sitting in! What a great feeling one gets from that.

sandy

sandy said...

I love thrift stores! I bet you had fun. Keep looking for the spoons. We have found some really cool ones.

s

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy! I can't get powdered milk, though.

Gwen Buchanan said...

oh... it can be made without powdered milk ... it is just added as a nutritional supplement... another good thing could be added instead...

laura said...

Thanks for the recipe; sounds delicious, and you loaf looks beautiful! I make a lot of quick breads, but I have no luck with yeast breads: I can't make yeast work for me!

Gwen Buchanan said...

I've lived in the country for a long time... and because we work at home, we don't go to the city very much and there are no local farmers markets so if I never learned to make bread I would have to do without, and that's a staple round here...

believe me there were a lot of doorstops!

one impt.thing about bread making is temperature... another kneading, lately I use a mixer or a bread machine to do that...also, now I do the last rising and the baking in the oven... more even crust...

back in my other life,(when I had bees, alpine goats, Angora goats, sheep, chickens, cats,and 3 young children I used to make it from scratch from start to finish ... I made 8 loaves at a time, and cooked 4 at a time in my wood cookstove... which also heated all my hot water.

Gina said...

It sounds and looks like a beautiful loaf! Thanks for sharing..I have a 12yr old panasonic breadmaker which I only ever use for dough and bake in the oven..I love the freeform shape of yours..will be trying this tomorrow :O)

Morna Crites-Moore said...

Gwen, i want to try your recipe, but I am a bit confused. Please, will you clarify a few things for me? It's been years since I made real bread, and my husband uses the bread machine, so forgive me if I sound too stupid. I prefer to sound just the right amount of stupid.

Hmmm ... I just re-read the recipe and I think I have it figured out after all.

BTW, on another subject, I love your "book" earrings. And the upcycled chicken coop! Wonderful. You are all living a life that many of us dream about.

Sorry you will be gone for a while - but I certainly understand why - I think many of us are feeling the need to get away from the blog so we can get some other things accomplished. So, why did I start up a second blog? Is it the stupid thing again?

xox,
Morna

Anonymous said...

Yum!!! I love baking, especially homemade bread. <3