One of my favorite memories as a young girl living in Smith's Cove
was stopping by my great grandmother's house on the way home from school.
Great Grammie would give me a snack of milk and warm buttered brown bread,
and we would chat, play a game of Chinese checkers, or work on a jigsaw puzzle together.
Great Grammie by Her Beloved Snowball Bush
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 1959
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Today it's my sister Barb who makes the best traditional Nova Scotia Brown Bread,
and I use her recipe to bake this nostalgic taste of home.
Last night, after searching my computer for over an hour, I could not find her recipe.
I was determined to because Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date
theme for this week is Bread, and Barb's is delicious.
No such luck.
The only copy I have is in my recipe box at home in Aurora.
So before going to bed I texted Barb for her recipe,
and it was waiting for me when I woke up.
I can always count on Barb!
She has been with me during some of my darkest and happiest hours
and everything in between. She's the best!
Barb(on the right) with Me
Beautiful Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
December 25, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Nova Scotia brown bread is rich and flavorful, but not overly sweet.
I love to toast a slice and spread it generously with butter.
It's scrumptious with hot soup or homemade baked beans.
It's the perfect comfort food!
Barb's Nova Scotia Brown Bread
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
During the Covid pandemic I made Barb's bread a number of times.
I'm using my photos to illustrate making her bread.
I divided the dough into loaves differently from her recipe,
so don't be confused by the discrepancy.
This is perfectly okay to do.
When I'm making anything, I like to assemble all the ingredients first,
in this case old fashioned oats, butter or shortening, molasses, yeast,
salt and water, as well as a little sugar for proofing the yeast.
Impulsive me has learned from sad experience
that it is important to have all the ingredients
actually in the house when I start cooking or baking.
Ingredients Assembled, Recipe at Hand
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
When making bread that requires yeast and rising,
I usually plan for about three hours from start to finish.
Barb's Nova Scotia Brown Bread Recipe
In a heat proof bowl:
3 cups boiling water
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup shortening or butter
Put all ingredients in a bowl and set aside to cool (about 20 minutes).
After the mixture has cooled,
add 3/4 cup molasses and set aside.
In a second bowl:
Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in 1 cup warm water
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of yeast in the solution.
- if regular yeast let stand for 10 minutes
- if fast acting, let stand 4 minutes.
Time to Add Molasses to the Cooled Oatmeal Mixture While Yeast Is Proofing
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
In a large bowl mix together:
8 cups flour
4 teaspoons salt.
Make a hole in the center of the flour.
Pour oatmeal mixture and yeast into the hole in the flour.
Ready to Mix Before Kneading
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Mix with wooden spoon and/or hands.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes.
Place the kneaded bread in a large bowl greased with butter.
Ready to Rise
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm spot
for one hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size.
Ready to Rise
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Punch down the dough and divide into 3 portions.
Shape each portion for a bread pan.
Grease the bread pans well with butter.
Place the portions of dough in the bread pans.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
While the dough is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Ready for a Second Rising ~
Note: Louise chose to divide her dough into four portions in two bread pans.
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Bake for 30-35 minutes. (I often bake the bread for 40 minutes).
Test for doneness by tapping or knocking on a loaf.
The bread sounds hollow when it's done.
Let the bread cool in the pan before turning it out.
Ready to Eat!
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
To me it's an act of love.
It nourishes the heart and soul as well as the body.
It connects me to all the strong women in my family who baked it before me.
When I make Barb's Nova Scotia Brown Bread it reminds me of
happy times with her and how important she is to me.
Sisters are the best!
Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 3, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Here are pictures for Nicole's Friday Face Off.
Sisters Share a Special Bond
A Sleepy Me with Donnie and Barb
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Late Spring 1957
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
and three lake trout barely out of the waters of Lac Seul
Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada
July 1961
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Family Is the best!
We Five: Donnie, Bertie, Roy, Barb, and Me
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 31, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Happy creating. Take care!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
My next post will be on
Friday, February 24, 2023 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Notes:
Making bread is more of an art than a science.
Humidity, air temperature, and elevation can impact rising and baking times.
That's why ranges are given.
My mother always said to knead bread dough until it felt like a baby's bottom.
My friend Jeff left a good tip in the comments:
"When dough is properly kneaded,
if you push in the dough slightly with a finger and then let go, it should spring back."
He learned this while working as a baker when he was in university.
Proofing the yeast means testing it to make sure that it is still alive.
This is done by gently stirring the yeast in warm water with a little dissolved sugar and setting it aside for 5-10 minutes.
If the yeast is good, it will form a creamy foam on top of the water.
Yeast Proofing
Aurora, Colorado, USA
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
If, for some reason, you have left over bread dough of any kind,
you can follow the time-honored tradition of thrifty Newfies and make Toutons.
Take roughly biscuit-sized pieces of dough, drop them in oil in a frying pan,
fry until browned on each side and cooked through,
dust with powdered sugar and serve with jam,
or plate them like a pancake and serve with butter and maple syrup.
Yum yum!
I wish I could say that Barb's Bread was my Great Grandmother's recipe,
but it's a traditional recipe from another family in the area.
We aren't sure whose. Our only clue is "Aunt Geraldine."
Barb's Nova Scotia Brown Bread Recipe
In a heat proof bowl:
3 cups boiling water
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup shortening or butter
Put all ingredients in a bowl and set aside to cool (about 20 minutes).
After the mixture has cooled,
add 3/4 cup molasses and set aside.
In a second bowl:
Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in 1 cup warm water
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of yeast in the solution.
- if regular yeast let stand for 10 minutes
- if fast acting, let stand 4 minutes.
In a large bowl mix together:
8 cups flour
4 teaspoons salt.
Make a hole in the center of the flour.
Pour oatmeal mixture and yeast into the hole in the flour.
Mix with wooden spoon and/or hands.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes.
Place the kneaded bread in a large bowl greased with butter.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm spot
for one hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 3 portions.
Shape each portion for a bread pan.
Grease the bread pans well with butter.
Place the portions of dough in the bread pans.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough reaches the top of the pans.
While the dough is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. (I often bake the bread for 40 minutes).
Test for doneness by tapping or knocking on a loaf.
The bread sounds hollow when it's done.
Let the bread cool in the pan before turning it out.
When Barb Was Barbie ~ Such a Cutie!
Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Summer 1959
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved