While the orcs in Middle Earth have no love for ‘maggoty’ bread, we’re certain they would enjoy a slice of this soft and lightly sweetened molasses oat bread!
Join us as we return to JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth for another epic culinary adventure. This time, we must gather our courage as we venture to the depths of Mordor in search of our next feast.
It’s no secret that orcs prefer meat to any other food, but with armies in the tens of thousands it wouldn’t be practical or possible for them to subsist on meat alone. Unfortunately, this means most orcs will have to supplement their preferred diet with less interesting items such as bread. And after long days on a raiding party with subpar bread, it’s no wonder the Uruk-hai in Peter Jackson’s film The Two Towers are fed up with their meagre rations.
I'm starving! We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!
- Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
We certainly share the orcs’ disdain for maggoty bread, so our version includes oats rather than actual maggots. In the book The Two Towers, Merry and Pippin are offered food after being kidnapped by the Uruk-hai. The bread they are given is described as grey which might not have seemed very appealing to the hobbits if they hadn’t been starving. For our Mordor feast we have chosen to add molasses to this soft and tender bread which adds just a hint of earthy sweetness and a rich dark colour.
Ingredients
Molasses: I use a light molasses in this recipe, sometimes called fancy molasses here in Canada. You can also use dark or cooking molasses however I would caution against using blackstrap molasses unless you really like the flavour of it. Blackstrap molasses is the strongest type of molasses and can have a bitter flavour.
Oats: Filling in for our maggots is flaked oats. Soaked oats are added into the bread giving it a slightly chewy texture while bumping up the nutrition and extra flaked oats are scattered on top to stand in for the less appetizing maggots. I use large flake oats but quick oats should work fine. Quick oats are ground finer so while they likely won’t affect the texture of the bread, they may look a little different scattered on top.
Flour: I use all-purpose flour but bread flour will work as well.
Yeast: This recipe was developed using traditional active dry yeast.
How to make Molasses Oat “Maggoty” Bread
Soak the oats
Heat 1 1/4 cups of the water until boiling. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the oats and the boiling water. Stir together and add the two tablespoons of butter. Let stand for 15 minutes until the oats have absorbed all the water and are softened.
Activate the yeast
While the oats are soaking, activate the yeast. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup water to between 105 and 115 deg F. Add a pinch of sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir briefly and then set aside for the yeast to activate. When the yeast is bubbly and risen, after about 5 minutes, proceed with the recipe. If the yeast has not activated and isn’t bubbly, then the yeast is no longer alive and needs to be discarded.
Make the dough
I like to use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make this dough, but you can certainly mix and knead this dough by hand if you prefer.
When the oats have finished soaking, add the molasses to the mixer and stir together. Add the activated yeast, flour, and salt. Mix, using the dough hook, until the dough starts to come together. Scrape down the sides occasionally to encourage the dough to come together. If the dough is too sticky and sticks to the side without forming a ball, then add another tablespoon of flour.
Continue mixing with a dough hook for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft and stretchy. This process will develop the gluten that is necessary for the loaves to hold their shape so don’t rush it.
After 10 minute or so of kneading, take the dough out and lightly knead a couple of times on the counter to bring it together into a smooth ball. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Drizzle a little more oil on top of the dough and rub it all over the dough. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and then set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Shape the bread
Spray two loaf pans with non-stick spray. Add oats to the loaf pans, shaking so they cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
Punch down the dough and divide in half. Shape each piece of dough into an oval loaf shape by pressing them down into a flat oval shape, rolling them up, and tucking the ends underneath. Place each loaf in the loaf pans. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake the bread
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Whisk the egg to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the tops of each loaf. Scatter more oats on top of the loaves. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bread is fully baked. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then turn the bread out onto a rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
