Spiced Date Nut Bread

Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1¼ cups warm water (100° to 110° F.)

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 Tbs. Chinese five spice

1 egg

3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped pecans

In a medium size bowl, combine yeast with warm water and stir until completely dissolved.  Add whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, oil, spices, and egg; stir until thoroughly blended.  Add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing each time until the flour is completely incorporated.  About ¼ cup at a time, work in enough of remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes.  Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough and place in the bowl.  Cover with a clean, dry cloth, and let rise in a warm place free from drafts for about one hour, or until doubled in volume.  Punch dough down and let rest for five minutes. 

Flatten dough into a rough oval about ½” thick.  Place dates and nuts on the dough and fold the sides over to enclose them.  Knead to dough to incorporate dates and nuts (at first the dough will be messy and seem to be falling apart, but be patient---it will all come together!).  Form into a ball and place into a lightly greased 1.5 quart casserole dish.  If there are dates on the surface of the loaf, push them into the dough so they won’t burn.  Let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.  Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350° F. oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. Bread is done when the crust is browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Cool on racks.

You may also let the dough rise in a banneton and then bake it in a casserole dish or free-form on a sheet tray or jellyroll pan

Notes

---As I do with most breads, I tested this one several times, and during one of the trials Br. Nathaniel came down to the kitchen for a snack. His mother often used anise in her holiday baking, and before he went to bed, he thanked me, “for a wonderful scent from my memories.”

---When I make this for my monastic community at Saint Bede, I let the loaf rise the second time in a French banneton (also called a brotform in German), which is a tightly coiled basket.  I generously dust the interior with flour, then place the dough in the basket to rise.  When it has doubled, I place a pizza pan on top of the basket and flip it over.  The risen dough drops out onto the pan, and the spiral pattern of the basket appears in flour on the top of the loaf.  The pattern become even more pronounced as the crust browns.  I use a round banneton, but they make long oval ones as well.

--If you like the aroma and flavor of anise, you’ll love Chinese five spice.  It’s a blend of star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon, and it’s available on the spice rack of most large supermarkets. A lot of people use it to flavor chicken stir fry, but it gives a unique flavor to breads as well.  In this recipe, Chinese five spice beautifully complements the sweetness of the dates, and the pecans add both flavor and texture to the loaf.  If you are a little leery of the scent, use only 2 teaspoons the first time you make the bread, and increase it according to taste.  If you can’t find the spice, substitute ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of either fennel seed or ground anise.