Pear Honey Swirl Bread

Pear Honey Swirl Bread

 

I hope this week finds you all healthy and well, both physically and emotionally. I’ve settled into a routine of morning CorePower or other workout videos, short outdoor runs and days spent on zoom. Brandon works at a hospital, so he’s like a relic from the long ago; his daily routine has barely changed, with the exception of his gym closure.

 

The stark changes in our world has impacted all part of our lives, right down to this blog. Tiff couldn’t find any yeast last week, and that – combined with the current stress of her job, highlighted in these complex times – meant that we needed to take a break from posting last week. Hats off to her, though, since she was valiantly trying to get creative with her starter to develop something to post. When that wasn’t working out, we agreed that this blog is supposed to be fun – and when it’s not, well, perhaps we can skip a week.

 

For me, one advantage to being at home so much is that it’s given me lots of extra time to cook and bake during the week – in-between meetings I’ve been able to knead some dough, pop something into the oven, or just get a few things started. Like lots of other folks, I’ve been craving foods I find comforting.

 

A few things we’ve eaten have included:

 

And of course, this Pear Honey Swirl Bread. Think Cinnamon Raisin Bread, but with a sweeter interior. It’s fruity, sweet, and a little spicy and earthy (thanks to the cardamom). The bread is delicious toasted with butter (of course), but also great with almond butter spread on top. It’s a simple bake (if you can find yeast!) and – speaking from experience  – is perfect to put together in-between web meetings.

 

 

Print
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Pear Honey Swirl Bread


  • Author: Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Scale

Ingredients

Bread:

  • 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 packet instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) Sugar in the Raw
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2/3 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pear, unpeeled, and chopped

 

Filling:

  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 pear, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom

Instructions

For the dough:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours, yeast, sugar, salt, and cardamom. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, egg, and oil and add to the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes; the dough will begin to come together but be somewhat stiff. Add the chopped pear and mix to combine.
  2. Switch to the dough hook and knead until the dough becomes more cohesive, adding more flour, if necessary. Don’t overwork the dough, or the pear will disintegrate and make the dough even wetter (you can also turn it onto a floured cutting board and knead by hand, if necessary). Knead until it becomes elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour, until doubled.

Make the filling:

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring honey, chopped pear, cornstarch, and cardamom to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and let cool for 30 minutes.

Assemble the bread:

  1. Roll the dough to a 15″ x 8″ rectangle on a floured surface with the short side facing you.
  2. Spread cooled filling over the dough, leaving 1/2″ of the far edge uncovered. Roll up the dough, pinching the edge to seal. Place in a greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, seam side down.
  3. Cover and let rise for 40 to 45 minutes, until the loaf domes 1″ above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  4. Uncover the bread, slash the dough in four deep stripes across the top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Tent the top of the loaf with foil after 30 minutes if needed. The bread is done when golden brown and the center reads 200°F when measured with a digital thermometer.
  5. Remove the loaf from the oven and cool it in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Tilt the bread out of the pan and return it to the rack to finish cooling completely before slicing.
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