Fruit-and-Nut Bread

Photo: flickr user grongar

Ingredients

2/3 cup hazelnuts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups warm water 100 to 110 F

1 pkt dry yeast

1 cup dried mixed fruit coarsely chopped

cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 lrg egg beaten

1/2 cup seedless red grapes

cooking spray

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake nuts at 350 for 15 minutes, stirring once. Turn nuts out onto a towel. Roll up towel; rub off skins. Chop nuts.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, warm water, and yeast in a large bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Add the hazelnuts, 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, dried fruit, sugar, 2 tbsp oil, salt, and egg to yeast mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms (dough will feel tacky). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Arrange grapes over dough, gently knead on a lightly floured surface 4 to 5 times or just until grapes are incorporated into dough. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Shape into an 8-inch round loaf. Brush dough with 2 tsp

Preheat oven to 375.

Uncover dough. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaf from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack.

Description: "This light-textured bread is inspired by an organic harvest bread baked at Bio Andreas on Andreasplatz, a lovely square in Basel's historic district."

NOTES : Whole red grapes are knead into the dough just before it is allowed to rise. We've replaced the chestnuts with easier-to-find hazelnuts.