Whole Wheat & Oat Bran Bread

This is the kind of bread your grandmother kept wrapped in foil on the counter, and you’d sneak a slice every time you walked through the kitchen.

It’s a no-yeast quick bread, so there’s no kneading, no rising, no waiting around. Just mix the wet ingredients, stir in the dry, and pour into mini loaf pans.

Molasses and brown sugar give it a deep, almost gingerbread-like sweetness, while buttermilk keeps the crumb tender and oat bran adds a gentle nuttiness.

Chunky dates and walnuts in every bite make this feel more like a treat than “health food," even though it’s packed with whole grains and fiber.

The recipe makes five mini loaves, which is perfect for keeping one out and freezing the rest for later.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t overbeat the batter. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing makes quick breads tough and dense.
• Check with a cake tester or toothpick at 40 minutes. Mini loaf pans can vary in size, so yours might be done a few minutes early.
• Let the loaves cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out, or they’ll crumble apart.
• Wrap cooled loaves tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw at room temperature in about an hour.