I'm often up late, working at my desk. It's nice to take a break and throw something in the oven to bake while I'm doing data entry. I love baking up a loaf of breakfast bread, filling the house with the aroma of apples and cinnamon. It somehow feels like the morning has to start out in a good way. Who could wake up crabby with such loveliness in the air, right? So far my theory holds true and midnight baking equals agreeable children in the morning...even The Teenager.
This bread has all sorts of goodness in it: Apples, spices, yogurt, applesauce. You could add nuts and/or flax oil to bump up the healthy even more. I like to serve it warm, slathered in butter though so that could cancel out some of the healthy, I suppose. Maybe I should add some shredded carrots or something next time...
Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Bread
Makes One Loaf
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Pre-grease one loaf pan
In a medium bowl mix up all of the dry ingredients:
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sugar
6 tbsp softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 cup apple sauce
1 cup apples that have been peeled and diced
In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter and sugar until whipped and creamy. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the yogurt and apple sauce, mixing well.
Slowly, add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl. Do not over-beat. Add the diced apples and mix just until incorporated. Pour into pre-greased loaf pan.
Baking time is about 1 hour and 5 minutes, but start checking at an hour. Your bread is ready when a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf.