Our Daily Bread

Today was just one of those dull drizzly days where you can't work outside so you may as well do something constructive inside. It was the perfect day to make bread! I felt like trying something different so I found a recipe for Oatmeal Bread in my Grandmother's old green cookbook as she use to call it. Actually it's The Betty Furnace Westinghouse Cook Book and it's definitely seen better days. It was different from any bread I had made before as it actually made what they called a 'sponge'! It took a bit longer doing it this way but once the sponge was ready the rest of the recipe was the same as usual other than the addition of molasses and oatmeal and an extra packet of yeast. While the dough was rising DH and I headed into town to pick up a few things. I love small towns...most people know you or recognize you and so you spend quite a bit of time talking to people which makes your trip take a bit longer. That turned out to be just the perfect amount of time for rising the dough!

Getting ready to soak the oatmeal

Yeast mixture is ready to make sponge

Mixing the sponge

Sponge is ready for the rest of the ingredients

Adding the molasses and other ingredients

My favorite part...kneading the dough

and kneading....

..and kneading....

It's done the first rising

Done second rising

Ready for the taste test

Wish I'd brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled oatmeal on top.

Oh well..next time.