Pioneer
Oatmeal Bread
Stretching the flour bin
New Brunswick historical recordWhite flour was expensive. Rolled oats were cheap. New Brunswick bakers during the Depression replaced a third of their flour with oats to make the flour bin last longer — and discovered that the resulting bread was denser, moister, and kept longer. A happy accident of necessity.
Source: New Brunswick historical record
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp lard or butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 3–3½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over oats and let soak 30 minutes until the oats absorb the water and the mixture cools.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Stir molasses, lard, and salt into the cooled oat mixture.
- Add yeast mixture, then stir in flour one cup at a time until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours.
- Punch down, form into a loaf, and place in a greased 9×5 pan. Let rise again, 45 minutes.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–40 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool on a rack before slicing.
✦ Kitchen Notes
- This bread stays moist for 4–5 days — the oats act as a natural softener.