I had some pictures taken this week…. the kind of pictures where I had to pretend to be an actress with glossy lips and curled hair.
The kind of pictures where you have to look surprised and pleased and over the shoulder and don’t do that weird thing with your lips and open your eyes wider and tuck that crazy hair under the less crazy hairs and what the heck are you doing with your chin and please stop that…
Those kind of pictures.
Dumb.
Know what I learned? My forehead is huge.
When I was a kid my Dad made fun of me for having a huge forehead (thanks dad… it’s your fault anyway!), and I had assumed that I had grown into my large upper face region. I was wrong. Totally disproportionate. I’m reconsidering bangs. Please don’t tell my Dad…. the last thing I need is for that whole thing to start up again.
I tell you about my large forehead because it has everything to do with this loaf of bread.
Where my forehead is disproportionate to my face… this bread, with its six simple ingredients, is totally proportionate to… itself.
Wait.
See what I did there?
Forehead and bread.
Proportions are very important in a loaf as simple as this. The ratio of flour to liquid and leavening lends a distinct texture… in this case, darn near perfect.
This beautiful loaf is somewhere right between sweet and savory. There’s no sugar beyond the dark molasses. But lemme tell ya… just the molasses adds a really lovely and deep flavor.
Whole wheat flour and cornmeal lend to the savory aspects of the bread and give this loaf a great nuttiness and just a bit of crunch. I could totally see serving this bread with a hearty vegetarian soup for dinner or a cup of tea for breakfast. I spread my with Nutella. Duh… delicious. Then I spread it with cream cheese and my head just about exploded. Perfect.
Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
makes one 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf
recipe from the New York Times
1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf pan. Non-stick baking spray works well too.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda.
In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk or yogurt and molasses.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold to combine. The batter will be slightly thick, but not dry. Spoon batter into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake loaf for 45 minutes to an hour. Depending on how evenly your oven bakes, you might want to rotate the loaf in the middle of baking. Be careful though. Don’t manhandle it too hard or it might deflate.
When a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Run a butter knife along the sides of the pan and carefully invert onto a wire rack.
Loaf will keep, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Serve with cream cheese, jam, salted butter or nutella.
Ryan
Oh. My. Gosh. Just made this, and it was seriously AMAZING. And healthy! Definitely my new favorite breakfast thing ever!
Sarah Sue
Made this for breakfast this morning with orange marmalade :) Absolutely delicious, thanks Joy!
joymama
I’ve made two batches this week, one was written and the next with some chopped, chrystalized ginger. Yum. Thank you.
Allyson
Love the recipe – it wouldn’t let go of me until I baked it! Also, I had almost a full
quart of buttermilk in the fridge that wanted to make itself useful. This bread is
very tasty, and even more tasty with homemade peanut butter and honey spread on it.
I made it a second time and added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I made it a third time, and
added the cinnamon and 1 cup of plump raisins. Each version was yummy – this bread
is one that you just want to keep having one more bite! I do have a question, though…
The second time I made it, there was a big hole in the center ?!? The second and third
time I made it and a little bit the first time, it seems a little moist in the middle of the
loaf and not so much toward the ends. I am cooking it 55 minutes. Any ideas on
what is happening? Do you think I am not cooking it long enough? Do you have an idea
on how I can solve this baking dilemma?
Looking forward to your reply. THANKS :)
Grace
We love you Joy. I missed on the holiday food (sniff… missed my gingerbread and shortbread cookies) because I was out of the country… so it’s great to see a recipe that combines molsses into a bread recipe!!! (yes, just catching up on my emails now). Thanks Joy. This will be my first baking recipe I’ll try since coming home.
PS.I’m considering getting bangs too! After looking at all the holiday photos, I realized how big my forehead is… Igrew out my bangs a few years ago because my face became rounder (hence, bangs made my face appear even rounder). Still haven’t slimmed down, but I can’t stop starting at forehead when I’m in front of the mirror. If you do get bangs, take a pic and let us see! :)
Mary Beth
Here’s to big foreheads! I have one too and like you I am contemplating bangs… but gotta get those cowlicks under control to make it work. I am headed to the store to get molasses and will be making this tasty bread this afternoon. Happy New Year and thanks for your inspiration, Joy!
meg
Just made this and it was AMAZING! It felt so healthy too. I even made it vegan by using soy yogurt. Thanks for the winner Joy!
sara
i made this! it was delicious. this month im cutting out overly sweet things, like most desserts and such. dont worry!! its only temporary … i could never abandoned sugar or chocolate- never.
so anywho… this was fantastic!
thanks ;]
mj
this was fantastic! i have celiac so in place of the whole wheat flour i used gluten free all purpose with 1 t milled flaxseed and with my limited choices it turned out more than just edible …. it was so good. thanks for sharing this awesome bread recipe!!!! :)
Nastassia (Let Me Eat Cake)
Dagnabit! If I wasn’t missing one essential ingredient I would be making this right now and enjoying it in bed tonight, but I’m not about to go out into the cold so it will have to wait til tomorrow. It sure does look good!
Tamara
oh my gosh…this looks so good. especially with the nutella spread on top. i just found your blog last week and really enjoy reading it! i think this might be the first recipe that i try!
Maggie
I loved this recipe so much, I posted it on my blog too! With full credit to you, of course ;-)
https://cookingstateofmind.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/whole-wheat-molasses-bread/
Thanks for all the great recipes! :)