Give us this day our daily (Oatmeal) bread…and Short Rib Stew

Ooooh, this bread is my favorite thus far!!  I made an Oatmeal bread, and it is soft & fluffy on the inside & crunchy on the outside.  The flavor is fabulous, a little nutty with the oats, and slightly sweet with the honey and molasses.  BTW, you don’t have to make your own bread for the SD, I just love baking!  I guess it also reminds me of my grandma who loved to make bread…maybe I’m homesick?  Either way, the incredible smell of this bread baking made it all better.

Oatmeal Bread
1 1/3 c. warm water
1 package yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. molasses (I used Blackstrap molasses)
1/2 c. rolled oats
2 c. whole wheat bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Buttermilk

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the water, yeast, honey, and molasses.  Let this mixture sit several minutes until foamy on top (or as my husband describes it, until it looks like a stout beer).

Meanwhile, combine the oats, flours, & salt in a mixer until homogeneous.  Slowly add in the yeast mixture and buttermilk, stirring slowly.  When well combined, knead it (by hand or by mixer) for 5-10 minutes or until “stretchy.”  (At this point the dough may need more flour; add just enough to keep it from sticking to the sides; I needed about 1/2 c.)  Cover with plastic wrap & a moist towel & let it rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead it very gently, just a few times.  Roll the dough into a cylinder & fold the ends under.  Place the loaf, seam side down, into a 9″ x 5″ oiled bread pan.  Cover with plastic wrap & let it rise another 45 minutes or so, until again doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.  Cool for 2 hours before cutting!

With the homemade bread, I served a fabulous stew that Chris had been requesting for a few weeks.  It was a Short Rib & Barley Stew, although I made a few adjustments.  Here’s the recipe for that deliciousness:
Short Rib& Barley Stew
It’s fantastic!  My adjustments:

1) I don’t have Marmite on hand, so I doubled the soy.
2) I had pork ribs, which I boned and de-fatted.  Not an easy task.
3) I used Olive Oil instead of Canola.
4) I didn’t have Barley (I used it all for some risotto on Valentine’s Day), so I subbed in some Wheat Berries.
5) After sauteeing everything, I threw everything into a crockpot & let it simmer all day.  The meat was tender, the wheat berries were done, and minimal dishes…so I’m happy  🙂

So I guess mine was Pork Rib & Wheat Berry Stew.  It was comforting, warming, and fabulous!! Major win with the Hubbs!!

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