Irish Brown Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (stone ground is best)
• 1.5 (1/3 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups water (110 - 115 degrees f)
• 2 tablespoons molasses (i've also used maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Recipe

• 1 put the whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl and place in a warm oven (low setting!).
• 2 both flour and bowl should be warm when you make the bread.
• 3 dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water and blend in the molasses.
• 4 let proof.
• 5 add another 1/2 cup of water.
• 6 combine flour, yeast mixture and salt.
• 7 add enough warm water to make a wet sticky dough.
• 8 this will vary according to flour and humidity conditions.
• 9 put directly into a buttered 9x5x3-inch bread pan.
• 10 cover and set in a warm spot.
• 11 allow dough to rise by 1/3 its original size.
• 12 this goes faster than you might think preheat oven to 450°f.
• 13 bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
• 14 turn off oven and leave loaf on rack for about 20 minutes to brown all over while cooling.
• 15 for a twist add in some quaker oats to the mix and sprinkle some on top before baking.
• 16 this is an ideal bread with tea and butter.