Family Favorites...Mighty Easy Molasses Bread

I’m always ready to try a new yeast bread recipe; and we enjoyed this one from   "New recipes from Quilt Country".  I used Grandma’s molasses, which is fairly mild, and couldn’t really taste the molasses in the finished bread.  It was a nice dough, easy to handle and shape.  

I usually make our daily bread in 4” x 12” pans, so I get more, smaller, less caloric slices.  I use instant or bread machine yeast to make bread baking faster.  Instant yeast has less dead yeast cells, so it’s both faster-acting, and also tastes more yeasty.  If you use regular active dry yeast, bread rising times double.
Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years.

The mixing directions in this recipe are mine, not the original.

These loaves made especially nice toast.   Of course, the first day, we had it with butter and more Grandma’s molasses!                     

Mighty Easy Molasses Bread

  7           Cups  Flour -- about 2 pounds

  1           Tablespoon  Salt

  2           Packages  Instant Yeast

  2           Cups  Milk -- 120°-125°

     1/4    Cup  Corn Oil  

     1/4    Cup  Molasses -- dark

  1           Large  Egg -- beaten

Combine all but 1 cup of flour, salt, and yeast.  Stir to combine.

Heat milk to 120-125°.  Add egg, molasses and oil to flour.  Slowly add milk, then mix with paddle attachment for 1/2 minute at low speed and 3 minutes at medium speed.  Gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms.  Change to a dough hook and knead 6 minutes until elastic or knead 8-10 minutes by hand.

Cover and let rest 10 minutes in a warm place.

Punch down dough and shape into 2 loaves for either 12" x 4" loaf pans or a 9" x 5" loaf pans.

Cover again and let rise until nearly doubled, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.   Bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on pan size) or until internal temperature registers 200° with an instant read thermometer.

Brush the top with butter and cool the loaves on a baking rack.

  "2 Loaves"