War Bread

Cooking Instructions

BAKING PANS

2 large (9"-x-5") or 3 medium (8"-x-4") baking pans greased or Teflon

BY HAND OR MIXER

25 mins.

In a large mixing or mixer bowl combine the rolled oats, cornmeal, whole wheat, shortening, molasses, and salt. Pour in the boiling water, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to 120-130. Sprinkle the yeast on the batter, and blend.

Stir in the white flour, 1/2 cup at a time, first with the spoon and then by hand, or with the flat beater in the mixer. The dough will be somewhat heavy and dense and will not have the elasticity of white dough. Nevertheless, the dough will form a shaggy mass that cleans the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle on flour to control stickiness, if necessary.

KNEADING

8 mins.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with the rhythmic motion of push-turn-fold, or with the mixer dough hook, 8 minutes. The dough will become smooth. Sprinkle on more flour if the dough continues to stick to the work surface or your fingertips.

BY PROCESSOR

5 mins.

This recipe is too large for most food processors. Divide the ingredients in half (except the yeast) and attach the plastic blade.

In the work bowl measure the rolled oats, cornmeal, whole wheat, lard, molasses, and salt. Pulse to mix. With the machine running, pour in the boiling water. Allow the mixture to cool, and then add the yeast. Pulse.

Turn on the processor and add the white flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough forms a rough mass and rides on the blade. As it whirls around the bowl, it will clean away the film from the sides of the bowl. Add small portions of flour through the feed tube if the dough remains sticky.

KNEADING

50 secs.

When the dough forms a ball on the blade, knead for 50 seconds.

FIRST RISING

1 hour

Place the dough in a bowl and pat with butter or greased fingers to keep the surface from crusting. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put aside for the dough to rise at room temperature until twice its original size-judged by how it creeps up the sides of the bowl-about 1 hour.

(If prepared with a new fast-rising yeast at the recommended higher temperatures, reduce the rising times by half.)

SHAPING

10 mins.

Punch down the dough and knead for 30 seconds to press out the bubbles. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into balls, and let them rest on the work surface for 3 to 4 minutes.

Form each loaf by pressing a piece of dough into a flat oval, roughly the length of the baking pan. Fold each oval in half, pinch the seam tightly to seal, tuck under the ends, and place in the pan, seam down.

SECOND RISING

50 mins.

Cover the loaves with wax paper and leave until the center of the dough has risen to an inch above the edge of the pan, 50 minutes.

PREHEAT

Preheat the oven to 350 20 minutes before baking.

BAKING 350

1 hour

Bake the loaves in the oven until they are nicely browned and test done, about 1 hour. Turn one loaf out of its pan and tap the bottom crust with a forefinger. A hard, hollow sound means the bread is baked. If not, return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. If the loaves appear to brown too quickly, cover them with brown sack paper or foil. Midway during baking and again near the end, shift the pans so the loaves are exposed equally to the temperature variations in the oven.

(If using a convection oven, reduce heat 40.)

FINAL STEP

Remove the bread from the oven and turn from the pans. Place on a metal rack to cool.