Molasses Bread
- 20m Prep Time
- 1h 5mCook Time
- 1h 25mReady In
One 9 × 5-inch loaf This bread, a hybrid of a yeast bread and a quick bread, is inspired by one from the Otis Café in the tiny town of Otis, Oregon. Serve with plenty of salted butter.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (80g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup (245g) room-temperature (72° to 75°F) buttermilk
- ¾ cup (255g) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups (330g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- (1 tablespoon butter, softened)
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (80g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup (245g) room-temperature (72° to 75°F) buttermilk
- ¾ cup (255g) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups (330g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- (1 tablespoon butter, softened)
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Stir together in a small bowl: ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup (80g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water; ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
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Step 2.
Cover tightly and let rise at room temperature until bubbling and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 hours; or let rise for 14 hours in the refrigerator.
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Step 3.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the sponge to a large bowl. Add and mix until smooth: 1 cup (245g) room-temperature (72° to 75°F) buttermilk; ¾ cup (255g) molasses; 1 large egg
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Step 4.
Stir in: 2 ½ cups (330g) whole wheat flour; 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda
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Step 5.
Butter a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and scrape the batter into the pan. Bake until the bread is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. If desired, while the bread is still warm, brush the top with: (1 tablespoon butter, softened)