Mother Gribbin’s Oatmeal Bread

From Celebrating the Seasons: A Collection of Recipes for the Church Year, by Members and Friends of The State Street Church, Portland, Maine • 1984

Yield 2 loaves

1 pint boiling water

1 tablespoon shortening

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup uncooked oatmeal

1 package yeast

1/2 cup warm water

5 cups flour

Mix boiling water, shortening, molasses, salt and oatmeal. Let cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Combine with oatmeal mixture. Add enough flower to mold. Knead until smooth. Let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and knead slightly. Put into 2 greased loaf pans and let rise until doubled. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 30 minutes more.

—Ruth K. Gribbin