Basic Nut Bread With Fruit Options Recipes

NUT AND FRUIT BREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 5 inch loaf tin thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, beat the egg well. Mix in milk and melted butter or shortening.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, nuts, raisins and orange rind; mix well. Blend egg mixture into fruit and nut mixture until flour is just moistened. Turn batter into greased loaf tin, and allow to stand for 20 minutes.
• Place pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Turn bread out on wire rack, and cool for several hours before slicing.

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cranberries and walnuts, and stir to coat with flour. Mix together the egg, oil, orange juice, and orange zest. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack, and cool completely.

FRUIT-AND-NUT RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.
• Pour the hot water over the dried fruit in a bowl; let soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the fruit, reserving the soaking liquid. Add more water to the liquid to equal 1 cup. Let the liquid cool to room temperature.
• Stir the bread flour, rye flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with a wooden spoon. Make a well in the center and add the 1 cup soaking liquid, molasses and vegetable oil. Stir with the spoon until the mixture forms a stiff shaggy ball (there might be some patches of dry flour). Cover the dough with a lightly damp kitchen towel and let sit until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the salt evenly on the dough. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is very smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. With lightly oiled hands, mix the nuts and dried fruit into the dough. Press down on the dough to remove any air pockets. Lightly oil the top. Cover with a lightly damp kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Lightly oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. With oiled hands, gently deflate the dough in the bowl and transfer to the pan, pressing down until smooth and even. Push down and submerge any visible fruit or nuts on the top of the dough to keep them from burning during baking. Cover with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap and set aside until the dough rises 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the top of the pan, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 375˚ F. Brush the top of the loaf with water. Sprinkle some oats on top. Bake until the crust is dark brown and a thermometer inserted into the middle of the bread registers 200˚ F, 35 to 40 minutes (tent the bread with foil if it starts getting too dark). Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

BASIC NUT BREAD WITH FRUIT OPTIONS

Steps:

• OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
• Apricot Nut Bread; Decrease milk to 1/2 cup; add 4 teaspoons grated orange peel, 3/4 cup orange juice, and 1 cup finely chopped dried apricots.
• Banana Nut Bread; Decrease milk to 3/4 cup; add 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium).
• Date Nut Bread; Add 1 cup chopped dates.
• Orange Nut Bread; Decrease milk to 1/2 cup; add 4 teaspoons grated orange peel and 3/4 cup orange juice.
• Prune Nut Bread; Decrease milk to 1/2 cup; add 3/4 cup prune juice and 1 cup drained chopped prunes.
• Heat oven to 350°F Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2x2 1/2 inch loaf pans.
• Measure all ingredients into large mixing bowl.
• Beat on medium speed 30 seconds, or mix with a whisk until well blended.
• Pour into pans; bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.