Molasses Brown Bread
A yeast bread made with whole wheat flour, molasses, cocoa, and brown sugar resulting in a slightly sweetened, boldly flavored brown bread. Molasses Brown Bread is perfectly suited for dinner, breakfast or lunchtime sandwiches. This recipe makes two baguettes.
Equipment
- 1 Digital Metric Scale
- Bowls Various sizes for scaling ingredients
- 1 Electric Mixer optional - can hand knead
- 1 Bowl for proofing
- 1 Bench scraper
- 1 Half Sheet Sized Pan for baking
- 1 Knife, Lame or Scissors for slashing the top of the bread prior to baking
- 1 Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 240 g Warm Water 100°F / 38° C (1 cup)
- 4 tsp Instant or Active Dry Yeast
- 400 g Whole Wheat Flour 3 Cups + 2 T
- 240 g All Purpose Flour 1 7/8 Cup
- 4 T Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 240 g Warmed Buttermilk 100°F / 38° C (1 cup)
- 3 T Molasses
- 2 T Brown Sugar can substitute white sugar
- 4 T Vegetable Oil
Topping
- 1 Egg White
- 4 T Rolled Oats
Instructions
Scaling
- Measure all ingredients using a digital metric scale.
Mixing
- Mix a pinch of brown sugar into the warm water, mix in the yeast until dissolved. Set aside until foamy (about 5-10 minutes).
- Mix together the following dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, AP flour, cocoa powder and salt, set aside.
- Pour activated yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk.
- Whisk in 2 cups of the flour mixture.
- Add buttermilk, molasses, vegetable oil and brown sugar. Whisk together.
- Switch to dough hook, add remainder of the dry ingredients.
- Mix on level one (low speed) for 1-2 minutes until all ingredients are moistened and a rough dough forms.
- Switch to level two (second speed) and mix for 5-6 minutes until a smooth dough is formed. The dough should pull from the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. It will feel tacky but should not stick to your fingers. If dough is sticky, mix in 1 T of AP flour until it is tacky and no longer sticky.
- Dump dough onto counter and knead a few times into a smooth ball. No additional flour is necessary here, it should not stick to the counter. If it is sticking, use 1 T of additional AP flour and knead until incorporated.
Bulk Fermentation
- Coat the inside of a bowl with spray oil. Place the dough ball into the bowl. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, 45 min - 1 hour.
Punching
- After doubling, dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Gently press the dough flat. Loosely roll the dough away from you.
Dividing
- Cut the loosely rolled dough in two and cover loosely with a dish towel.
Bench Proofing
- Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Makeup and Panning
- Take one half of the dough and gently flatten the dough. Roll the flattened dough away from you into a tight cylinder.
- Pinch the seam closed.
- Using your thumbs, push the seam firmly into the center of the cylinder. Roll the cylinder over so the seam is on the bottom, pull the cylinder towards you to tighten it further.
- Pinch the ends of the cylinder together and tuck under.
- Place the cylinder onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the second cylinder, placing them at least 4-5" apart to allow them to proof.
Proofing
- Cover the formed cylinders with plastic wrap coated in spray oil to prevent sticking.
- Set aside until cylinders have doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175 ° C.
- Remove plastic wrap.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the exterior of the bread with egg white. Sprinkle with the rolled oats.
- Cut 6-8 diagonal slash marks across the bread to allow gas to escape during baking.
Baking
- Place the prepared bread into a preheated oven.
- Bake 15 minutes, rotate pan, and continue to bake for 15 minutes more, for a total of 30 minutes bake time. Test interior of the bread using a food thermometer. It is done when it registers 200°F / 93°C.
Cooling
- Allow bread to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Storing
- Allow bread to cool completely before storing. Store in a loosely closed plastic bag. Or, slice and freeze.