This easier than you think vegan pear almond sweet bread is the perfect fall bread, with sweet pears, crunchy almonds, and a little cinnamon.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Vegan
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Rising Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 1loaf
Ingredients
2 ¼teaspoonsinstant or quick rise yeast
¼cupwarmnot hot! water
1teaspoonmaple syrup
1cupwarm almond milk
2tablespoonscoconut oilmelted
¼cupmaple syrup
1cuprolled oats
1teaspooncinnamon
2 ½cupsall-purpose flour
1 ½cupshredded pear
½cupslivered almonds
2 ¼cupswhole wheat flour
For topping: almond milkrolled oats, and sliced almonds
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix the warm water and the 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for ten minutes.
Once your yeast mixture is good and foamy, add the almond milk, coconut oil, the 1/4 cup maple syrup, rolled oats, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, pear, and slivered almonds. Mix it with a wooden spoon or use a stand mixer if you have one.
Add the whole wheat flour in 1/2 cup increments, stirring well in between, until a soft and lumpy dough forms.
If you're using a stand mixer, just let the dough tool do its work for a few minutes and don't worry about taking it out to knead it by hand. You're looking for a soft, smooth dough ball. If you don't have a stand mixer (I don't) take the dough out once all the whole wheat flour is added and place in on a flat surface that's been generously dusted with flour. Knead for about 15 minutes.
Place in a large greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and stick it in a warm spot. I heat my oven a tiny bit and turn the light on inside. Let it rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
Once it's risen, punch it down gently, once, in the middle of the dough. Take it out of the bowl. There are a couple things you can do here. If you feel like braiding bread is too complicated (it's not) you don't have to do it. Just throw the bread on a parchment lined baking sheet and mush it into whatever shape you want.
Braided bread is super simple and people love it. It seems fancy. If you want to braid it, now is the time. Separate the dough into three roughly equal pieces. Attach their tops together at one end of a lined baking sheet by squishing them together and sort of folding that bit under so people don't see it. Then just braid those pieces like you'd braid anything else. Keep it pretty tight, it'll look nicer once it's risen.
Most recipes say to add an egg or milk wash and any toppings after the bread has had it's second rise. I don't do that. I find the dough too delicate after rising and it's too easy to squash. So right after you've braided it, brush some almond milk on top and sprinkle oats and slices almonds over it.
Let it rise again for another half hour or so, or until doubled again in size. Heat your oven to 375F and bake for thirty minutes, or until golden. Serve warm, serve cold, toasted, it doesn't matter.