EVERYBODY EATS: Bake happy

Jill Jones tells people it's a good day when she can bake.

Of all her tasks as chef and food service manager at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, baking is one of her most enjoyable.

“It's working with your hands,” Jones says. “You get immediate satisfaction, but then you have to wait. It's kind of like life's lessons. People want that immediate gratification, but you have to work, and have patience, for your ultimate goal.”

Jones is talking about bread, but she could just as easily be talking about herself. A former nurse, Jones retired after 32 years to enroll in the culinary arts program at Kirkwood Community College. She later taught at Kirkwood before accepting a position at Prairiewoods. There, she is responsible for all of the food served at the center for both residents and guests, including the most popular bread - oatmeal.

Bread can be intimidating, she says, but everyone gets better with practice.

“To quote King Arthur Flour, ‘There's no such thing as failure. Only teaching moments and bird food,' ” Jones laughs.

Oatmeal Bread

Yield: 3 loaves

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup shortening

3 cups water

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup warm water

7 to 8 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 whole egg for egg wash

2 tablespoons water

Combine brown sugar, shortening and water in sauce pan and bring to a boil to melt shortening and dissolve brown sugar. Pour over oatmeal in bowl. Stir well and let cool thoroughly (100 to 110 degrees or cooler). Oats will plump up. If too hot, the liquid will kill the yeast.

Add yeast and warm water to oatmeal mixture. (Instant yeast can directly be added to flour, active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water.)

Add salt and half of flour and combine in mixing bowl with a dough hook. Gradually add rest of flour until dough is no longer sticky. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Stretch and fold dough every 10 minutes three times. Cover with plastic or a cotton towel (not terry cloth) between stretching periods to strengthen the gluten development. Place in a greased container and leave at room temperature for 1 hour to start fermenting.

If baking the bread the same day, let the dough rise about 1 1/2 hours. If waiting a day, refrigerate the bread overnight. Let the dough sit at room temperature a couple hours the next day before baking.

Shape into 3 loaves and place in bread pans, or free-form a ball, and let rise, covered until doubled. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle some dry oats on top of loaf. If making free form, place 2 loaves on parchment paper-lined half sheet pans, dusted with cornmeal.

Score free-form loaves with an X with sharp knife and place in oven. You do not have to score bread if using loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. This bread freezes well.

Recipe from Chef Jill Jones, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center.

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