Oatmeal Batter Bread

Oatmeal Batter Bread (McCall’s Home-Baked Breads, 1965)

This is a no-knead yeast bread. It makes a moist, slightly sweet bread that works well for sandwiches, provided you like thick slices of your bread. (Thin slices just fall apart.) Most of the time making this bread is spent waiting.

1 ½ c. boiling water
¾ c. rolled oats
¼ c. molasses
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter
¼ c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. soft butter
In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the oats. Add molasses, salt, and 3 Tbs. butter, stirring to mix well. Cool.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir to dissolve. Stir in oatmeal mixture. Gradually add 2 c. flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Mix in rest of flour by hand until well blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Using wooden spoon, beat batter with 25 strokes.

Spread evenly in greased 9x5x3” loaf pan, using a buttered spatula to smooth the top. Cover with wax paper and let rise in a warm place until 1” from top of pan. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan to wire rack. Brush top with 1 tsp. butter. Cool completely.

Makes 1 loaf.

Honey Corn Muffins

Honey Corn Muffins (The Greatest Food Show in the Land, 1982)

This is a nice, easy corn muffin recipe. The original called for canned corn and melted Parkay, but fresh or frozen corn and melted butter are so much nicer, and why waste a delicious and expensive ingredient like good honey in a recipe where the other ingredients aren’t as tasty?

1 c. unbleached white flour
1 c. cornmeal
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
12 oz. corn, thawed if frozen
1 c. milk
1/3 c. melted butter
1/3 c. honey
1 egg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 18 muffin cups. (If you can find unbleached parchment paper muffin cups, they work great and don’t stick to muffins the way some liners do.) Combine dry ingredients. Add the corn and toss lightly. Combine the other ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to flour mixture, mixing just until moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter.