Guest Post - Jen's Cinnamon, Chocolate & Date Bread

Hey Everyone! It's Jen from JenBeansBlog with a 2nd recipe using dates (check out my Date Balls from Monday!). It's the weekend and that means more time to play around in the kitchen. Just surround yourself in the company of yeast, flour, and some good quality dates (and maybe a glass of wine) and you'll be sure to create something spectacular. For something nutritious and delicious on its own or dipped into egg for french toast, give this recipe a try! 

Cinnamon, Chocolate & Date Bread 

Ingredients:
2 tsp bread machine yeast
3/4 cup warm soy milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup bread flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup Medjool dates
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder

Dissolve yeast in milk for 5 mins so that it starts to bubble. Mix in egg and flours and oil until homogeneous and proof for several hours until at least doubled in size. 

In a food processor, add dates, cinnamon and cocoa powder and process until you get a crumbly date mixture. 

Flour a working surface, roll out dough to get maximum surface area and smear date mixture on top. Roll the dough and curl into an oiled baking tin. I used a loaf tin and curled the dough roll several times over. 

Proof for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 415 C. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wash and bake for 20 - 25 mins.

Because I had promised to bring this loaf on a cottaging trip, I could not dig in right away. When we cut into the loaf a few days later, it had hardened a bit but still smelled wonderful. We drenched it in egg/nutmeg/milk and fried it up. Topped with peanut butter and syrup, some fresh blueberries and bananas, and combined with the beautiful view of the lake and pine trees, chirping of birds and quite lapping of the waves against the dock, it was the closest thing to what I imagine retirement to be like :)

Happy baking/cooking everyone!