Thursday, February 24, 2011

Oatmeal (Otherwise Known as Downfall) Bread

This recipe came out of a small soft cover book put out by Fleischmann's Yeast.

I have no idea when I got it (can't find any date in it at all as to when it was published) but it has so many good recipes in it that I've used over and over and over.

As you can see, there is a distinct possibility the whole thing is going to self-destruct one of these days but I don't know what to do to preserve it. I sure do treasure this little book.

OATMEAL BREAD

1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F.)
2 packages active dry yeast (I use 2 slightly rounded tablespoons)
1-3/4 cups warm milk (105-115 degrees F.)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
5-6 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup quick rolled oats

Measure warm water into large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast and stir until dissolved.

Put milk, sugar, salt and butter in a small saucepan and heat to desired temperature.

Add to yeast mixture. Add 2 cups flour and beat with rotary beater until smooth. Add 1 cup flour and the 1 cup oats. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. Let rest 20 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half out and form into loaves. Place each loaf into a greased loaf pan. Brush loaves with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator. Uncover dough carefully. Let stand uncovered 10 minutes at room temp.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until done. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 2 loaves.

Notes: Previously I've always used regular rolled oats but I did have quick oats to use yesterday. The quick oats "disappeared" in the baked bread so I think I like using regular rolled oats better because they give a heartier look and taste to the bread.

Yesterday I let the loaves rise in the refrig only 2 hours and they came out beautifully. I baked them the full 40 minutes.

19 comments:

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

That cookbook makes me laugh. When we travelled a lot I went through an atlas a year. They always looked like your book. That is why everything should be spiral bound. Those bindings just can't take a lot of use. The bread looks wonderful.

Susan said...

Duct tape comes to mind...those quirky old cookbooks are the best, aren't they? I like this recipe - calling for the rising in the refrigerator is right up my alley, since the interior of my house is so 'invigorating'. Must I make these? Yes, I am afraid so.

Jane said...

The bread looks yummy,Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I will be trying it. Blessings jane

Mama Pea said...

Jane - Hey, how 'bout a blog post or two about when you traveled a lot? Or have I missed that somewhere along the line?

Susan - I've Scotch taped the devil out of it but that's not holding. Duct tape may be next.

Do you ever take a loaf of fresh bread and jam to your farmer fellas of a weekend? I'll bet that would be a novel treat if you haven't already thought of it.

Jane2 - You're very welcome. Hope you like it.

Sparkless said...

Why don't you just copy the recipes you like and use from the book and then if it does destruct you'll still have your favorite recipes.

If you are friendly with your local librarian you could ask if they know how to keep books from falling apart. I seem to remember someone telling me there is a way to rebind books that involves a new spine and some special glue.

That bread does look yummy!

Michaele said...

Oh! I have that same recipe book and it is the ONLY one I user for white bread! Cool! (but I never use margarine anymore)

Michaele said...

p.s. I found you over at Farm Tales

Mary Bergfeld said...

This really is a treasure of a bread. I'm new here and having read this post decided to browse through some of the others. I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed my visit and will be back again and again. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Anonymous said...

Yummy! Guess what I'm making tomorrow?

Spiderjohn said...

Mama Pea, why don't you get plastic sheet protectors, put each individual page of your book in a protector and put in a 3 ring binder?

Anonymous said...

The loaves look beautiful, they turned out so perfectly! That's the one thing I miss using the bread machine, they don't look like a regular loaf, I know it's a visual thing, but they still taste good! I'll have to look into an oatmeal bread machine recipe!

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I'm going to have to look into some way of preserving this book soon. I've heard that you can take a book that's falling apart into a certain office supply store and they can put a spiral binding on the pages. My problem is that the pages themselves are so fragile now. Copying the pages on a copy machine is a good idea.

Michaele - Welcome and thanks for commenting! Do you remember when you got yours? No, I NEVER use margarine either. We get our butter from a local farm and know it's got wholesome, real, animal fat (that's good for us!) in it.

Mary - A very big welcome to you, too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Mama Pea said...

Ruth - Hope, hope, hope it turns out for you. Our neighbor that we gave one of the loaves to stopped over this morning to say it was the best bread they had ever had! Omigosh! I was so flattered. He and his wife both come from farm families whose mothers always made their own bread, so I felt so honored with his compliment.

Spiderjohn - That is an EXCELLENT suggestion. Or I could laminate each page and put them in a binder. Thanks!

Rain - Not having used a bread machine, I just recently learned that the loaves don't look natural! Funny how I assumed they would look just like a regular loaf.

Erin said...

Fantastic! I'm assuming I can use steel cut oats? That's all I have other than quick oats, so I'll give it a whirl!

Karen L. said...

I am a bit behind in reading your blog but SO glad I tuned back in just in time to see this wonderful bread recipe!!! I could almost smell it .... wanted to scratch my computer screen where the bread photos were to see if I could (you remember those scratch and sniff books, right?). I have been wanting to make bread and I think this is where I will start. Thank you so much for sharing this and other recipes.

Mama Pea said...

Erin - I've never personally used the steel cut oats in this recipe, but what the heck, give it a go!

Karen L. - Thanks for checking back in. Omigosh, if we had scratch and sniff on our monitors, we'd all gain pounds just reading all the yummy recipes everyone posts!

Dirt Lover said...

Oh my gosh! I have that same little cookbook! I think that's the one that has Raisin Casserole Bread. My mom baked that for years and years before she died. It was "her" bread. She gave it to lots and lots of people for Christmas presents. She made it each month the morning of her quilt guild meetings, to be added to the little raffles they would have. I've started making it, thinking of her each time I do.
I will try your Oatmeal Bread. It looks yummy! Thanks for the little trip down Memory Lane!
~~Lori

daisy g said...

Oh my. That bread looks wonderful. I'll have to try the oatmeal. Thanks for the recipe!

Mama Pea said...

Lori - Gosh, I've made the Raisin Casserole Bread many, many times! I'll bet your mom and I were baking it at the same time! Hope the Oatmeal Bread works for you.

Daisy - Welcome and thanks for commenting! I'm glad the Oatmeal Bread recipe appeals to you and hope it's a winner in your house, too.