Bread Lover

I admit it, I love good bread like this, bread that has a lot of "thunk" to it. I was blessed with a mother who was the master of all things "home made " (hence my blog and Etsy store name) but I didn't always appreciate her talents. I remember longing for the bread that looked like the other kids (aka Wonder Bread) and the clothes that were purchased at the popular stores not by my mother's sewing machine. I didn't understand the value a hand-knitted sweater any more than the somewhat irregular bread I didn't want for my sandwiches.

Now, I too love home made, but I don't have time to do everything my Mom did since she didn't work outside the home (her phrase). Since I still love bread, I'm developing a collection of bread machine recipes that my handy gadget can produce in 4 hours or less with almost no effort from me. It's not the same as the "real" home made, but it's pretty darn close.

Here's my current favorite:

Sweet Oatmeal Bread

¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 ¼ to 1 3/8 cups water
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar (I use Splenda)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in bread pan, using the least amount of liquid listed in the recipe. Select “light” setting. Press START.
Observe the dough as it kneads. After 5 to 10 minutes, if it appears dry and stiff or if your machine sounds as if it’s straining, add more liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a smooth, pliable ball hat is slightly tacky to the touch.

After baking cycle ends, remove bread from the pan, place on a cake rack and allow to cool 1 hour before slicing.

PS Who can wait that long? We usually eat it while it's still warm.

While I am on a food vein, I want to share the special Idaho potato I found today. Someone had a box of potatoes at work with a sign encouraging everyone to take what they wanted. I selected 6 to take home including this one...