Honey-Wheat Molasses Quick Bread
July 24, 2009|Comments (18)
This bread takes me back to my newlywed days. It whispers sweet nothings into my ears and brings a smile to my face on the rainiest of days. One bite and I am instantly back in the kitchen of our very first house during the worst windstorm Washington had seen in years: no power, limited water supply, and a raging storm pawing at the rain-streaked windows. With Josh deployed, I needed something to comfort me.
I baked this bread in a dutch oven on our wood stove countless times by placing the dough inside a hot dutch oven and then stacking coals on the lid. And praying. A lot.
The recipe was given to me by our beloved Pastor Kristy from Bethany Lutheran Church in Spanaway, WA. She apparently got the recipe from her days at seminary, where it is known as Luther’s Communion Bread. Since that time, I’ve altered it to fit the contents of my cupboards or my moods. Regardless of the changes, the bread manages to hang onto the warm flavor that I fell for many moons ago in the midst of that dreadful storm and a stretch of rain that wore on even the most seasoned northwesterner. It brought a sense of calm in the midst of those horrible floods (the Nisqually overflowed, Mount Rainier National Park closed, and we took showers at Ft. Lewis) and taught me the importance of comfort foods.
So here are the ingredients all lined up and facing the firing squad:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (I needed to use up the graham flour in the picture but any whole wheat flour will do)
- 1 cup white flour (all-purpose or bread flour… choose your own adventure)
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder OR 1 Tbsp instant yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp hot water
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- Optional: dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts, and/or pecans
Sift the dry ingredients together three times. Don’t ask me why… just do it.
Now, mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. This is probably my favorite part of the process. I love the scent of molasses. It’s heavenly stuff.
Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and mix. Feel free to add a handful of dried fruit or chopped nuts. If you are using baking powder, then don’t knead. If you are using yeast, knead for 5-8 minutes. Quarter the dough and roll it into balls. If the dough contains yeast, let it rise for about ten to fifteen minutes. Flatten the balls into 1/4″ thick disks. Feel free to score the top with a cross.
Now place the disks on a oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Brush with oil again and bake another 5-8 minutes.
So, this is the bread that got me through thirty-seven consecutive rainy days and no power during Josh’s first deployment after our wedding. Trapped in a dark house with only the dogs for company, this bread filled the house with the scent of happiness. I hope it does the same for you.
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this bread sounds divine!
MMMMMMMMM,….Lacy!! This bread looks & sounds so tasty!! The bread looks so inviting!!
Recently, I made your cardamom bread & my husband & I loved it!! So, many thanks!
You can never ever go wrong with molasses bread. I make an oatmeal one that doesn’t get a chance to cool. Thanks for sharing another.
You and my mother should talk. We lived in Spanaway when I was just a baby/toddler while my father was in the service. She was a young bride and on her own for the first time. Even though my parents have been divorced for over 20 years, they both still remember that as a really nice time in their lives. In fact, they went back there, when they got back together for a brief time, as sort of a 40 years later pilgrimage.
I love molasses. This sounds really yummy, too.
LOL You’re awesome Lacy you know that? Wizard 101 is just an online multi-player fantasy type game where you get to pretend you’re a wizard and you have to battle the evil wizard and ghosts and other creatures to save the city from evil forces. It’s rather addicting and more fun than I expected it to be. Really expensive to get a paid membership though…
That bread looks SO good. I’m going to have to make sure that we get the couple ingredients we are missing the next time we go grocery shopping so we can try it. I can smell it just from looking at your pictures and it makes me hungry, despite the fact I just ate… :p
Yummy! You make the most delicious posts in your blog.
I’m out making a Monday fly-by to wish you an awesome week!
Sounds and looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Lacy,
OMG– that bread looks so good. I am going shopping so will pick up a few things. Lacy I am allergic to honey so can I use Rogers Golden suryp or something similar? I know that some recipes call for the ingredients given and one is not supposed to sway from that. I really would like to try this bread as I am back to making homemade bread again. ain’t it sweet?! I haven’t used my cast iron dutch oven (McClary No.8-x602 &x601–drip top dutch oven) for baking bread yet. Maybe some day. Anyway Lacy do you have more bread recipes for us. It sure would be nice to see.
Love Always–xoxoxoxo
Hi Lac,
We have had the craziest sickly-est summer… I haven’t had a chance to get out to you but I will! How long is Josh gone for? I’m sorry, I know it’s hard (remember Wayne was in the Nanvy) if you need something, please let me know and if you come out this way PLEASE call me!! I would love to see youA Otherwise, I will come out there sometimes soon!
Take care Lacy,
Ashley
The circles that look like giant cookies at the top of your post… do they end up being the giant pictures of the finished bread? The loaf in the beginning looks so big so I’m not sure.
Anyway, it all looks de-lish!
Hope all is well. I miss your posts! I know it hasn’t been long since the last one ~ but I always stop by to see if you have anything new
)
Hope you are well!
I thought of you yesterday when I had some “strife” involving my new Rhode Island Reds. WWLD? (What would Lacy do?)
Hi Lacy, just popping in to see how you all are doing? I hope everything is going well for you! Guess what? My nephew is coming today! (It is after midnight, so I get to say “today” instead of “tomorrow”!) I’m so excited! =D
Lots of love & hugs!
Hi, Lacey!
Since I live in Oregon where it RAINS six months of the year, I can soooo relate to this post! I will definitely try this bread…it sounds wonderful. Hope all is well…
Blessings,
Dianne
Do not use the baking powder method. It turns out hard as rocks. Its probably better to do the yeast method.
Hi Lacy,
I always enjoy reading your blog. This bread looks like fun to make, and so easy!
Help! I have tried this recipe twice, once with baking soda, once with yeast. And both times it has come out flat. And not looking so good. What am I doing wrong? Please help, it looks so yummy on your blog. Selena
Help me! I tried first with the yeast and they came out flat and doughey. Put em back into the oven and cooked off some of the moisture, but still large hockey pucks. So I tried the baking powder instead with the same result. So, I doubled the baking powder and got disks that rose to about 1″. They did not look like the picture, taste okay, but are heavy as rocks.
What gives? What are we missing? Some “rise” time?
I was hoping to use it in a Dutch oven competition, but not unless you can tell me how to make it rise.