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Root Beer-Molasses Bread
Created by tmoning, Thursday, 02 December 2010 Description
A recipe from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Easy Artisan Bread.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 12-ounce bottle root beer (1½ cups)
2/3-cup molasses
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted
3 tablespoons lukewarm water
Methods/steps
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until everything is well combined. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to stand at room temperature until it doubles in size and is covered with large bubbles. Refrigerate the dough for three hours, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and apply nonstick spray to an 8 1/2-inch-by-4 1/2-inch-by-3-inch loaf pan. On a floured work surface, shape the loaf and place it in the pan seam-side-down. Let the dough rest for 30 to 40 minutes to come to room temperature and rise slightly. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until dark golden brown and firm. (The internal temperature should be 200 to 205 degrees.) Let the bread cool for 20 minutes in the pan, and then remove it to a cooling rack. Slice and serve.
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Additional Tips
This is a sweet, dark bread that goes well with ham and beans, bean soup, or chef salad. Serve it toasted and slathered with apple butter for breakfast. I do not carry margarine or vegetable shortening, so I substituted half a stick of butter, melted. The bread slices easier if cooled, wrapped, and allowed to season for several hours.