Grandma's Oatmeal Bread

2 packages yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup shortening

1 tablespoon salt

5 1/2 to 6 cups sifted enriched flour

2 beaten eggs

  Disolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.  In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups boiling water, rolled oats, molasses, shortening, and salt.  Cool to luke warm.  Stir in about 2 cups of the flour; add eggs, bet well.  Stir in softened yeast.  Beat well.  Add remaining flour to make soft dough.  (Dough will be a little sticky.)  Grease top lightly.  Cover tightly and place in refrigerator at least 2 hours. (Or, if more convenient, leave in refridgerator overnight.)  Turn out on well-floured surface and shape in 2 loaves.  Place in greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" - inch loaf pans.  Cover.  Let rise in warm place until double, about 2 hours.  Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) 40 to 50 minutes.  Makes 2 loaves.

Mary Waterson

This recipe is from John Thomas, UCC General Minister and President, 1999-2009

Christmas Stollen

1 package yeast                         Icing

1/4 cup warm water                   2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup sugar                             1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt                        3 tablespoons warm milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine       1/2 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract

1 egg                                           (Combine)

1/4 cup milk

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup candied fruit mix

  Disolve yeast in warm water.  Cream sugar, salt and butter.  Add egg and milk.  Beat well.  Blend in 1/2 cup flour and let stand a few moments.  Stir in dissolved yeast and water mixture.  Beat in rest of flour and turn out on lightly floured board.  Cover with clean towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

  Knead dough until light and smooth.  Place in greased bowl and cover with towel.  Let rise until double in size (1 1/2 hrs.) Punch down.  Let rise again, about 35-45 minutes.  Remove from bowl and divide in half.  Place on floured surface and let rest 10 minutes.  Flatten mounds and knead 1/2 cup candied fruit into each mound.  Flatten into 2 ovals.  Fold each over the long way.  Press edges together firmily so they will not spring open while baking.

  Mold each into a crescent shape and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Brush tops with butter.  Cover and let rise until double, about 35 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees in center of oven for 30-35 minutes.  Frost while warm.  Decorate with whole candied cherries, and other candied fruit pieces to make leaves and stems.

This recipe for Challah (Jewish egg braid) comes from the Molly Goldberg Cookbook.  Molly Goldberg was a fictional Jewish mother in an evening comedy/drama called "I remember Mama".  Much of the show was set around the dinner table.  There are many delicious recipes in The Molly Goldberg Cookbook.

Egg Braid  (Challah)  (Makes 1 loaf)

4 cups flour                                                 2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp. Sugar                                             1 egg yolk, thinned with water (use on crust

1 teaspoon salt                                                                                   just before baking)

1 package yeast                                        1 teaspoon sesame  or poppy seeds (optional)

1 cup water, warmed to body temperature

In large bowl combine 1 ½ cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Warm water to body temperature (too hot will kill the yeast, too cold will retard the yeast growth).  Add water and beaten eggs to flour mixture.  Beat 3 minutes on high with mixer.  Stir in remaining flour, 1 cup at a time to form a soft dough.  You may need to add more flour if dough is too sticky.  Knead dough with dough hook or by hand until it is elastic and as smooth as a baby’s cheek. (3-5 minutes). 

Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease top of dough.  Cover, let rise in a warm place until it is doubled in bulk (1- 1 ½ hours). 

Punch down.  Form into 3 equal portions, shape each portion into a strip by rolling between hands (like you used to do with clay).  Pinch 3 strips together on one end.  Place on a greased baking sheet. Braid the strips until the end.  Tuck ends under and pinch together.  Brush with egg yolk wash.  Sprinkle on seeds if desired.

Let rise again until doubled in bulk again (45 min to 1 hour).  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Brush with butter if desired.

Alice Tawresey

This recipe is from Mary Seymour, Vice President of Investments and Loan Originations, The Cornerstone Fund, UCC

Makes Great Communion Bread!

Hawaiian Bread

6 cups plain flour

3 eggs

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup water

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 packages yeast

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

Beat eggs; add pineapple juice, water, sugar, ginger, vanilla and melted margarine.  Put 3 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.  Add egg mixture and stir until well mixed.  Sprinkle in yeast, one packet at a time, mixing well.  Gradually add the additional 3 cups of flour.  Batter will become hard to mix with a spoon;  you may need to finish mixing by hand.  Leave batter in bowl, cover with a cloth and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.  Remove from bowl and knead in 1/2 cup flour.  Divide into 3 equal parts and ;oace in well greased round cake pans.  Cover, place in a warm place and let rise about 1 hour.  Back at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

This recipe is from Don Hill, Minister and Team Leader, Financial Development Ministry, UCC

This recipe was handed down from my grandmother (Mrs. Beatrice Thomas) through my mother (Mrs. Gloria Hill).  They never taste like they did when I was seven and my grandmother made them, but I find it to be a good recipe.

Mrs. Thomas' Rolls

1 1/2 cups water

1 package yeast

5 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 stick butter

Dissolve yeast into 1/2 cup very warm water (not boiling).  Stir flour and sugar together in a bowl; cut in shortening.  Add yeast and its water.  Add one cup of cold water.  Stir with wooden spon until elastic strands form.  Place in greased bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use (at least two hours).  Turn out dough onto floured surface and roll to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut with 2 inch biscuit cutter.  Cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size.  Liberally brush each roll with melted butter.  Bake at 325 degrees until brown.

This recipe is from Vivian Santiago-Riccio, Administrative Assistant, Congregational Vitality and Discipleship Ministry, UCC

Double the recipe because this will go fast.  Also makes a nice gift.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons cornstarch

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons raisins or currants (optional)

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Grease 8 1/2" x 5" loaf pan.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sugar into the pan and tilt to distribute sugar accross bottom and sides.  Shake out any excess.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch and set aside.  In another bowl, cream butter until soft.  Add the remaining sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Gently fold dry ingredients into butter mixture.  Do not overmix.  Fold in vanilla, currants or raisins (if using), walnuts, lemon rind, and chocolate chips until just blended.  Pour batter into pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool in pan 5 minutes before turning out on rack to cool completely.  You can dust the top with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Artisian Bread

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 packages yeast

1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose white flour

Mix the water, yeast and salt - don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.  Add the flour and mix until everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches.  No kneading necessary!  Cover and let it sit for approximately 2 hours.  Longer rising times (up to 5 hours) won't harm the dough, so relax!  There's no need to closely monitor this stage as in traditional recipes.  At this point, you can use a portion of the dough or stick it in the refrigerator.  It can stay in the fridge up to 14 days.

When you're ready to bake:

First, put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Then cover your hands with flour, break off 1/4 of the dough and, handling it as little as possible, shape it into a loaf and place it on the parchment paper.  Let it rest for ~40 minutes or so.  20 minutes before baking get the oven ready.  Place one rake in the middle of the oven, with the second rack underneath.  Place an empty broiler pan on the lower rack.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  When it's time to bake, slash the loaf with a sharp knife.  Get a cup of hot water ready.  Tu the loaf in the oven and CAREFULLY but quickly poor the hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trapp the steam.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  Allow the bread to cool completely befor slicing (it's hard to wait; good luck).

Hertzberg, J., and Francois, Z. (2007).  Artisian Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discover that Revolutionizes Home Baking.  St Martin's Press:  New York, NY.

Tressa Johnson

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