Molasses Whole Wheat with Hazelnuts and Raisins

For the last few weeks I've been fooling around with a soft, dense whole wheat bread flavored with seeds, nuts or fruit. The first, English brown bread, was salty and satisfying; the second, a part whole wheat loaf studded with sunflower seeds was nice but heavy; but the third batch, flavored with blackstrap molasses, hazelnuts and raisins is currently the winner.

I got the idea from an amazing whole grain bread made at Whole Foods that contains at least a dozen nuts and seeds and a sweet smattering of raisins. It's hearty, and perfect paired with something savory like lox and cream cheese. Normally I dislike raisins in baked goods, but there's something about the winy fruit mingling with the rich seeds and bitter whole grains that I love, especially when matched with sharp cheese.

The basic recipe this time comes from the one for Robin's Bread in the wonderful Home Baking by husband and wife team, Alford and Duguid. This recipe is incredibly flexible. Like the brown bread I wrote about a few weeks ago, Robin's Bread dough can be left to a slow rise and then retarded in the fridge for a day until you're ready to shape and bake the loaves. The actual recipe takes 15 minutes to put together and makes 3-4 generous loaves. I usually cut it in half and make two, freezing the second for later in the week (or for our friend Joe, who occasionally demands bread). You can also fold in whatever types of nuts, seeds or dried fruit you like, and I imagine that if you omitted the molasses in favor of a tablespoon of sugar, you could turn this into a glorious cheese bread or a swirly cinnamon raisin loaf.

As it is, this bread is the perfect antidote to rainy Portland winters. It makes me happy just to look at the brown hazelnut halves nestled into each slice, interrupted once in a while by sweet tart raisins. Each bite is soft and toothsome, with a subtle sweetness. Tonight I ate a warm slice alongside a beet and avocado salad with feta, fearing the combination would be awful, but it held its own even with a light vegetable supper. The molasses flavor doesn't dominate the meal; it sounds strange, but the heady flavor of the bread is limited to each bite. Rather than overpowering the taste buds, it just punctuates the meal with moments of wholesome sweetness.

So here it is. Bake it and then look at the pouring rain--or sifting snow--and give a quiet thank you for the winter.

Molasses Whole Wheat with Hazelnuts and Raisins
adapted from Home Baking

3 Cups white flour
3 Cups whole wheat flour, plus extra
1/2 tsp yeast
1 C milk
2 C warm water
1 T plus 1 tsp salt
1 T blackstrap molasses (or honey, for a lighter flavor)
1 T vegetable oil or softened butter
1/2 - 1 C hazelnuts, halved
1/2 C raisins

Combine yeast and water. Add milk, molasses, oil, salt and 3 C whole wheat flour. Mix until incorporated. Add 3 C white flour, plus nuts and raisins. Knead by hand or in your standing mixer until the dough forms into a ball. Add more flour or water as necessary to achieve a moist but not sticky dough, kneading for 6-10 minutes. Oil a large bowl and place the dough ball inside, rolling it around to coat the dough with a light layer of oil. Cover with saran wrap and set aside to rise for 8-12 hours. The risen dough should double in size, and be spongy and very moist.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter top and divide into two pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Set aside to rise for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 10 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 375. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate loaves, and bake for 20-25 minutes more. The loaves are done with the bottom corners of each loaf are firm and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the tins and let cool completely before slicing.