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SWEET MOLASSES BROWN BREAD
Brownies have always been one of my favourite sweet treats. Today, after quite a few rounds of testing (which wasn't all that bad), I bring you a tray of perfect fudgy vegan brownies.
They are crispy on the inside and fudgy on the inside, the way every good brownie should be. They are intensely chocolatey, come together quickly and due to their small size, bake so quickly that you'll have plenty of time to make yourself a cup of coffee before they are out of the oven.
The key to the fudgy interior is taking them out of the oven just in time. They may look underdone as the tops harden and crisp up as the brownies cool down, but trust me - they are not. They are heavenly!
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup honey
3 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Old-fashioned oats, for sprinkling on top
Instructions :
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, molasses, cocoa powder, oil, honey, salt, and 2 cups of the whole wheat flour. Mix until combined.
2. With the mixer running, gradually add the rest of the flour starting with the whole wheat, then adding the bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need the last cup of flour). Knead for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
3. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, then cover with a sheet of plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray, or cover with a light dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
4. Punch down the dough and divide into two or three evenly-sized pieces (depending on how large you want your loaves). Shape into tight oval loaves and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure they have space to rise without touching each other. Lightly cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray or a light dish towel and let rise again until puffy and doubled in size. Right before baking, you can use a very sharp razor, knife or bread-slashing lame to cut three slashes across the top of each loaf, if desired.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the loaves for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and lightly brush with the melted butter, then sprinkle with the oats and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Cool before slicing.
