RIDICULOUSLY EASY Rustic Tomato Basil Parmesan Bread

A couple weekends ago I met my girlfriends for a weekend trip in Nashville. I'd like to take a moment and say that the only thing more wonderful than homemade bread is sharing it with women who can laugh at themselves. And you. And then make even you laugh at you.

We went to the spa in honor of one of our friend's new baby--instead of a baby shower. And as if that weren't smart enough (wish I could take credit for that genius plan)...two of the significant others of the girls...well, they made us food. Like real food. Not microwave popcorn food, but like BAKED bread, NYT recipe egg strata, oven roasted potatoes and onions, and buckwheat pancakes on the griddle. We need more of these men in our lives, no? I mean, it's been a while since a man made me French press coffee like this...

Well, we took the bread to the spa. Because that's what one does when olive oil is the spa theme. Here's a picture of girlfriend, Harmony, enjoying the fruits of a man's labor before the spa. (And check out her absolutely hilarious blog HERE.)

Now, tell me you wouldn't want to eat, drink, and be merry and then rubbed down with women who are probably going to cause problems in a nursing home with you one day...instead of making small talk with people you may not know over tissue paper and diapers (sorry Jolene).

Anyway, when I got back from Nashville, I started craving homemade bread again. Just like that. Even if the temperature has been in the 80s. Years ago, my good friend, Erinn, would make tomato basil bread in her breadmaker. It was delicious. And now years later, I miss it (and her, since we're discussing friends) and wonder what a rustic tomato-bread loaf would taste like. So, after playing around, the conclusion is that it is delicious and almost as easy if you don't mind waiting overnight (so worth it). I urge you to try my little experiment because I think it's going to turn out beautifully for you. And again, if you know me by now, you know...NO KNEADING!

This bread is the perfect transition between summer and fall. If you have basil growing on your porch like myself, give it a go. Read this slowly: This bread is idiot proof. I mean, it is RIDICULOUSLY EASY. 

All you need that's considered special equipment is a cast iron pot (a dutch oven if you will) like the ones Le Creuset or Staub makes. Even Aldi sells knock offs these days. You can find these pots on Amazon, at Target, TJMaxx, Marshalls, even Walmart. It is THE ultimate 'tool' in making rustic breads. You definitely need one. LOVE LOVE LOVE these pots.

RIDICULOUSLY EASY RUSTIC TOMATO BASIL PARMESAN BREAD

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large handful of fresh basil, rinsed and patted dry
• 5 sun-dried tomatoes, preferably NOT oil-packed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• *A DUTCH OVEN (I used a 3.5 qt size--which is about 3.3 L)

Using a food processor or large knife, process or chop finely the dried tomatoes and basil.

Using a stand mixer OR a medium to large sized bowl and spatula, mix all the ingredients, except the water. Then pour in the water and mix until the dough is shaggy and comes together easily. This should only take a minute or two.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours. Overnight is really ideal.

When you are ready to bake the bread, place some flour on a clean kitchen towel. Dump your dough onto this floured towel and flip it over once or twice until it is a round shape and evenly covered with flour. Flip the towel to cover the round shape. Next, place a lidded dutch oven pot in the oven and turn the oven on to 450 degrees. When the oven has preheated, continue to let the pot heat or 'bake' on its own for another 10-15 minutes.

When the pot is good and hot, carefully take the pot out. Then, carefully lift up dough with edges of the damp cloth/towel and dump your dough into the hot dutch oven pot. Shake the pot gently side to side to let the dough even out in the pot. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread for another 15 minutes until it is baked throughout and golden in color.


Check out the green and red flecks of color...

I made two loaves. So glad I did. And that's how you meet your neighbors in a big city.

Before I forget....some major things to keep in mind with the breads I post on this blog:

1. If you want a crispy crust, store the bread in a paper bag.
2. If you want a chewy crust, store the bread in a plastic bag after it has cooled. 
3. I suggest refrigerating it after a couple of days and warming it up either in the oven (which can restore some crispi-ness, the microwave--which can restore some chewiness, or just toast it). Due to the fact that it doesn't have preservatives, the bread can spoil faster than store-bought breads.

And boys? Thanks again. You done good. Sorry I didn't take your picture as you smiled when you served us food. Your mommas would be proud. 

*You can use a bigger size pot, but the bread will be a bit thinner and spread out more. The 3.5 quart size is probably my favorite for rustic breads. I use the Le Creuset brands (mainly round shape) and if you have these brand of pots and don't know what size they are, check the number on the bottom of the pot. I found this little chart on a message board and it is helpful in understanding what size I'm dealing with--so if your Le Creuset pot has a 16 on the bottom of it, it's a 1.5 quart pot, etc. See below:

For Round Dutch Ovens:

16: 1.3 liters (L) = 1.5 quarts (qt) 
18: 1.8 L = 2 qt
20: 2.4 L = 2.5 qt
22: 3.3 L = 3.5 qt
24: 4.2 L = 4.5 qt
26: 5.3 L = 5.5 qt
28: 6.7 L = 7.25 qt
30: 8.4 L = 9 qt
34: 12.4 L = 13.25 qt

HAPPY BAKING!

Blew-My-Mind-Delicious-Treat: Vegan (REALLY?) Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Yup. Another vegan recipe. And it's amazing. My friends recently asked me what my obsession with trying vegan recipes was...I really don't know. Maybe it's because it seems like the 'hip' thing to do these days...? Or maybe it's because I'd like to believe that there are delicious vegan foods to discover. Or maybe because I'd like to know I'm not as completely dependent on cheese as I think I am (HA! A life without cheese? Say it isn't so!!!!). I haven't read 'The China Study' or 'Eat To Live'...no time and parenting/bible study material sort of take priority at this point in my life. Maybe I'll get to them later this year...however, I like the idea of 'cleaner' eating. Though we like to live with moderation, trying vegan recipes is my way of staying 'open-minded.' And when I stumble upon recipes like this, I don't miss the dairy or eggs.

I saw this banana bread recipe on www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com and was excited about a way to use up the spelt flour sitting in my fridge (yes, I keep my whole grain flours in the fridge). What a surprise it was to find such a low-fat treat. There is no additional fat in this bread (if you don't use oil) besides the chocolate chips! And yes, I added extra chocolate chips. Also, I realize that I have posted several banana bread recipes--all very good. But this is the only one that didn't require butter, refined sugar, or eggs. So, I will definitely be making it again!

I hope you will try this and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

POLKA-DOT BANANA BREAD (CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD)

Adapted from www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

(Makes 10-12 slices)

• 2 cups spelt flour (or white, or Arrowhead Mills gluten free, etc.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup milk of choice (or oil)--(I used almond milk)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 stevia packet (or 1 Tbsp. more agave or other sweetener)--(I used agave nectar)
• 2 cups tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)-(I had a little less than 2 cups)
• 1/3 to 2/3 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup and sprinkled more on top)
  
  

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. (Mix by hand, and don’t overmix.)

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and cook for around 50 minutes. (Tip: If the top is cooked but the inside is still gooey, put tin foil over the top and continue to cook.)

After removing from the oven, let cool for ten minutes before slicing. After the first day, this bread is best stored in the fridge. Or cut it into slices and freeze for later. 

Rustic Crunchy, Munchy Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed & Flax Seed Bread

This loaf is wonderful. It's really one of the best breads I've ever made. The flavor is SO wonderfully home-y. It's nutty and fragrant and a bit crunchy. Truly delicious for sandwiches and toasted with soup. Please try this bread. It is SO GOOD! Thanks to the author, Nancy Baggett, for the wonderful recipe!

My friend, Nancy, recently posted one of my favorite bread recipes on her blog. It inspired me to post again on this method since it's been a while and I've been  making more bread recipes from this book that turn out! Alright my small following of readers...I don't know how to encourage you more to try these no-knead breads. The Kneadlessly Simple bread book has changed my life---it has given me confidence to bake. The method is SOOOO EASY!!!! And even though the directions have a lot of words, after the first couple loaves, you will be able to absolutely breeze through the directions. I've thought long and hard about how to simplify the directions--but I'm not sure how because it gives you options and gray areas--these recipes are STRAIGHTFORWARD, SIMPLE and truly DOABLE!!! You barely handle the dough. You just have to TIME IT RIGHT. And there is nothing better than homemade bread! Nothing--it's like getting loaves from a bakery. Just read through the directions and work backwards. 

I usually start the process Friday and have fresh bread either Saturday night or Sunday night. OR, I start it on Sunday night and we have bread Tuesday night. I give it 1.5-2 days process. Yes, it does take planning--yes, you do have to think ahead. BUT....you just wait on the bread. Read through the recipe and decide when you want to eat it then work the time backwards. If you want this bread for Friday night dinner--start the process on Wednesday. 

_________________________________________________________________________

About this bread--Super-Easy- Fairly Easy: All ingredients added before the first rise. Easy hand-shaping required.

Nancy Baggett's Note: I often find the seeds in breads a distraction, but in this case they make the loaf. The generous quantity of roasted pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds lends a delicious and very distinctive nuttiness—not to mention crunchy texture, eye appeal, and protein. The bread is baked in a covered pot for most of its time in the oven, which crisps the crust and the seeds on it, but also prevents them from burning.

CRUNCHY MUNCHY PUMPKIN SEED, SUNFLOWER SEED, & FLAX SEED BREAD

From Kneadlessly Simple

Be sure to use very fresh, appealing-tasting seeds for this recipe. If you can only find raw, unsalted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, toss them with 1/4 teaspoon corn oil or canola oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and roast at 325 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 7 to 9 minutes.

• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) unbleached white bread flour
• 1/4 cup flax seeds, preferably golden
• 1 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
• 3 Tbsp. clover honey or other mild honey
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus more for coating dough top and pan (I used safflower oil)
• 1-1/3 cups plus 1 Tbsp. ice water, plus more if needed
• 1/3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish
• 1/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. sea salt or other coarse crystal salt, optional
• 1 egg white, beaten, or 2 Tbsp. liquid egg substitute
  
  

First Rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the whole wheat flour, bread flour, flax seeds, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the sides and mixing just until the dough is thoroughly blended. If the ingredients are too dry to mix together, gradually add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing, as the dough should be slightly stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more whole wheat flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours (I usually leave this dough in the fridge overnight). Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours (I pull out the dough in the morning and leave it on the counter until evening).

Second Rise: Working in the bowl and turning the dough as you work, sprinkle about half the pumpkin and sunflower seeds over the surface. With lightly oiled hands, work in the seeds and fold the dough over to fully incorporate them. Continue working in the remaining seeds, folding over the dough until all the seeds are incorporated and fairly evenly distributed throughout. Sprinkle the dough with a little whole wheat flour. Press and smooth it into the dough, shaping it into a ball as you work.

Oil a 3-1/2- to 4-quart Dutch oven or similar round, ovenproof pot.

Transfer the ball to the pot. Dusting the dough with more flour as needed to prevent stickiness, tuck the edges under firmly all the way around, forming a smooth, high-domed round loaf about 6-1/2 inches in diameter. Brush off excess flour, then brush all over with Cornstarch Glaze (or egg white wash), then immediately sprinkle the surface with the remaining pumpkin and sunflower seeds for garnish. Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut a 2-1/2-inch diameter, 1-1/2-inch-deep circle in the top. Cover the pot with its lid.

Let Rise Using Any of These Methods--there are 3 ways you can do this--pick one of the options below: 

1. For a 2- to 4-hour regular rise: let stand at warm room temperature
2. For a 1-1/2- to 2-1/2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. 
3. For an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours (I usually leave it in the fridge overnight until about 1-2 hours before wanting to bake the bread).

Then let dough stand at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from its deflated size.

Baking Preliminaries: 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Generously brush or spray the loaf with water.

Baking: Lower the heat to 425 degrees F. 

Bake on the lower rack, covered, for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf is lightly browned--check at about the 45 minute mark to see how browned it is--it usually takes my oven less time to bake the bread.

Uncover, and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or the center registers 208 degrees to 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). 

Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is done (I didn't need this last step as the bread was getting quite dark). Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

Serving and Storing: Tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. 

To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or to prevent the loaf from drying out, store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400 degrees F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Easy Little Bread (No Knead, 30 Minute Rise, Whole Grain, & Delicious!)

This bread is delicious! And it was SO easy! It is another one of Heidi Swanson's great finds (from 101 Cookbooks--great blog--here is the original post). Ran across this bread on Pinterest. It may be the fastest, easiest little bread recipe I've tried so far. You can literally have bread within a 2 hours of starting this recipe. Though, I prefer my longer wait method breads (from Kneadlessly Simple), this one is a great one if you're short on time and would be a perfect bread to 'cut your teeth on' if you haven't made any yeast breads yet. 


The best part of making this bread is that it uses ingredients you will most likely have on hand in your pantry. The crust is crispy, the texture is hearty, and the flavor is still light enough to not feel overly cardboard-healthy--but it is still healthy! I wish I had made THREE loaves and frozen two of them. Next time, I will. Seriously, this bread is NO knead (use your stand mixer to blend the ingredients). And requires only a 30 minute rise. Check out how beautifully this yeast proofed! (Don't mind my falling-apart measuring cup. Santa needs to bring me a new one next year. Also, this may be the first time I can tell my new camera may actually take better pictures than my old one...)

I'm hoping to incorporate this bread  into toasts for dinner, later this week, by topping it with mushrooms, bell peppers, and provolone cheese and broiling the toasts. This would be a great bread for that kind of thing. It is the perfect Sunday afternoon bread--the kind you want to eat while taking a break from doing laundry. I am assuming that's how everyone spends their Sundays....laundry and dreading going back to work the next day. So how to make Sundays better?? I have found three ways: 1) Bake bread! It's a cheerful way to greet the week. 2) Finish a creative project--thank you Pinterest for more inspiration!

And 3) Take your kids for a neighborhood ride in a wagon at sunset into the early evening. 

Here's to hoping everyone's Sunday nights get happier!


By the way, check out those air bubbles--keep in mind this bread does NOT rise much at all. I wouldn't say it's an impressive looking bread, but get past the fact that it's a little brick shaped (as was Heidi's if you go to her original post); slather some butter on it, hot from the oven, and you'll be good to go--yes, I know you're not supposed to cut it out of the oven, but who can resist? 

EASY LITTLE BREAD 

• 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast (one packet)

• 1 Tbsp. honey

• 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour

• 1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted, for brushing

  
  

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 8-cup loaf pan (just a regular loaf pan you have around, really!) generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. (Heidi says: I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color.)

Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.

Makes 1 loaf.

Back in Business: Crusty Rosemary-Olive Peasant-Style Pot Bread

Alright, so I realize that I have slacked on posting...life has been chaotic for our family. Between doing a half marathon, my husband's crazy schedule, the holidays, flus & colds, extensive travel, house repairs, managing a toddler, and general busy-ness of everyday life, my little blog has suffered. Everyone is busy, I know! But after I made this bread, yesterday, I was motivated to post again. It was that good. Especially if you're into rustic food. This bread would be amazing with the hearty soups of this season, along stews, and as a sandwich bread. I'd even use it as the foundation of a broiled caprese toast (think pesto, fresh mozzarella, vine-ripe tomatoes).

If you have seen any of my other posts, you will see that I am insanely into this nice woman named Nancy Baggett and her fabulous bread cookbook, Kneadlessly Simple. By the way, the book has gone down in price on Amazon. And how can you not want to make something from someone that emails you back every time you email her with a question?! Anyway, I was so excited about this bread because it reminds me of the fantastic Italian bread served at Maggiano's Corner Bakery (in Chicago area). I usually get the tuna salad on this kind of olive bread and never imagined I could make something like it at home! And so easily!

The bread is very easy to make--you just have to patiently wait and go about living your life--which shouldn't be hard considering the holidays are around the corner...right? However, I will confess that while in a hurry, I misread the directions after the second rise, and let the bread rise on the counter instead of the fridge overnight. Imagine my surprise to see that the bread STILL turned out amazingly well--I'm not saying I recommend doing what I did, just that it was surprising to see that the dough continued to rise, air pockets were visible, the crust was intact, and it tasted wonderful with a piece of hard goat cheese and a crisp apple. YUM! Enjoy!

Make the basic white version if it's your first time making a bread, or add in the kalamata olives and fresh rosemary like I did (I brought in my outdoor plant and somehow it's surviving inside!)--you will be very surprised that you can make a bread with the same quality of that at your local European bakery.

NOTE: The crust softens if you store the bread in plastic wrap or plastic bags.

From the author, Nancy Baggett:

Pot boules — round, peasant-style breads that are simply popped into a sturdy, lidded pot and baked — are about the easiest loaves possible, but among the most gratifying. They puff up well, brown beautifully and always come out crusty, due to the moisture trapped inside the pot during the first few minutes in the oven. (In fact, the pot actually serves as a minioven.) As a bonus, the loaves need no hand shaping because the dough just conforms to the container shape as it expands.

Like the basic black dress, this basic white loaf is always appropriate and in favor. The interplay of light mild crumb, crunchy golden crust and deep, sweet yeast taste and aroma (coaxed out by long, slow rising) is downright amazing. In fact, eating this bread is a far more complex and exciting sensory experience than one might expect from the simple ingredients.

Should you ever want a change of pace from the basic loaf, it's an easy matter to add a few accents for a rather different effect. See the rosemary-black olive variation at the end of the recipe.

CRUSTY WHITE PEASANT-STYLE POT BREAD-with Rosemary-Olive Variation 

Makes 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 slices.

• 4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or white bread flour, plus more as needed (I used 3 cups white flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour + ~1 Tbsp. Vital wheat gluten)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon instant, fast-rising or bread-machine yeast
• 2 cups ice water, plus more if needed
• Corn oil, canola oil or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough (I used olive oil for the Rosemary-Olive version I made)

First Rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Vigorously stir the water into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, stir in more water, a bit at a time, just enough to blend the ingredients. 

Don't over-moisten; the dough should be very stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir dough. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for three to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough once about halfway through the rise.

Second Rise: Using an oiled rubber spatula, gently lift and fold the dough in toward the center, all the way around, until mostly deflated; don't stir. Brush or spray the surface with oil. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been coated with nonstick spray. Let rise using any of these methods: for a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size; remove the plastic if the dough nears it.

Baking Preliminaries: 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Heat a 3 1/2- to 4-quart (or larger) heavy metal pot or Dutch oven in the oven until sizzling hot (test with a few drops of water), then remove it, using heavy mitts. Taking care not to deflate the dough (or burn yourself), loosen it from the bowl sides with an oiled rubber spatula and gently invert it into the pot. Don't worry if it's lopsided and ragged-looking; it will even out during baking. Generously spritz or brush the top with water. Immediately top with the lid. Shake the pot back and forth to center the dough.

Baking: Bake on the lower rack for 55 minutes. Remove the lid. Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until center registers 209 to 212 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). When it seems done, bake 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.

VARIATION: Crusty Rosemary And Olive Pot Bread — Stir 1 cup pitted, coarsely chopped kalamata olives (well drained) and 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh (not dried) rosemary needles (discard the stems) into the dough along with the water. Proceed exactly as directed in the original recipe.

Serving And Storing: Cut or tear the loaf into portions; it tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for three days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to two months.

Maple Apple Pecan Bread

My friend (and neighbor), Lindsay, and I went apple picking for the first time this season. We took our girls and enjoyed seeing them take delight from picking fruit off the tree and putting the apples in their own baskets.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day!

Lindsay made apple pie with the apples and I made applesauce and Maple Apple Pecan Bread. It's my new favorite quickbread that I stumbled upon at www.cookingforseven.com. This blog is so beautiful! (I have adapted the recipe a bit, but wanted to give credit to the Erica--she's an incredibly talented 21 year old!) I'm glad I made extra to share with our other neighbor, Chelsea. I can't wait to make this again. It's delicious in the morning with a cup of coffee or as a snack in the afternoon with a piece of cheese and a cup of tea.

Reasons why I absolutely LOVE this Maple Apple Pecan bread and think you will too:

1. It is tender and moist.
2. It has a crumbly-crunchy topping.
3. It is made with whole grains and is sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar.
4. It makes the whole house smell like fall.
5. It has complex layers of flavor--the vanilla, the maple, the cinnamon, the nuttiness--simply delicious.

MAPLE APPLE PECAN BREAD
inspired by www.cookingforseven.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (I love King Arthur brand)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. old fashioned oats 
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (flaxmeal)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 (or less) tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or fat-free plain Greek yogurt (or a combination of the two)
• 5 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter (I did a combination of light and regular butters)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples (relatively finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

• Ground cinnamon & brown sugar (Turbindo or raw sugar preferred)
• 1/4-1/3 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9X5X3 inch loaf pan. I use the spray below instead--makes it so much easier!

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, oats, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the apples and pecans. (I like to add them at this point so that they are covered with the dry ingredients first and think it makes a little bit of a difference so they don't sink as far into the bread when baking.)

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk/yogurt, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Then, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with apples and pecans. Gently fold to incorporate the ingredients thoroughly.

Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with cinnamon and sugar and the pecans reserved for topping. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping & storing.  Serve slightly toasted with butter.

Makes one large loaf that welcomes fall! Enjoy.