Hilo Bran Bread

This Hawaiian bran bread is good, but I would offer a note of caution.  I found that it rises a little in the oven, so you want to be careful with how much you fill the pans.

Hilo Bran Bread [three small loaves, two medium loaves, or six muffins]

Bernard Clayton

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups bran flakes

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon each salt and baking soda

2 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons molasses

BAKING PANS: 3 small (7"-x-3") or 2 medium (8"-x-4") baking pans, greased or Teflon, lined with buttered wax paper along sides and bottom. Leave the tabs of paper sticking out about 1/2" so the loaf can be pulled from the pan. Or 1 muffin pan, greased.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl measure the flour, bran, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Into a small bowl pour the milk and molasses. Stir well. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the bread tests done when a wooden toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean and dry. If you are making muffins, bake for about 30 minutes and test, as above.

Remove the bread from the oven. Hot quick bread is fragile when taken from the pan, so do so with care.

It is delicious served warm with butter.