Clay Bake Oven Brown Bread
This is Anna’s version of an old Nova Scotia recipe.
Clay Bake Oven Brown Bread
Serves
Makes 2 loaves
Type
Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 pkg yeast
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp shortening, melted
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In large bowl, pour boiling water over rolled oats. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
- Dissolve 1 tsp sugar in ½ cup lukewarm water. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Stir yeast mixture, molasses, shortening, salt and remaining 3 tsp sugar into rolled oats. Stir well to combine.
- Stir in flour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free location until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
- Build fire in bake oven, allowing about 2 hours for oven to heat and wood to burn down.
- Punch down dough. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf. Place each loaf into a well-greased loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack immediately. Brush top with butter. Wait – if you can – until it has cooled to eat.
- (If using a conventional oven, bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes.)