Baklava Swirl Bread

This is no ordinary swirled loaf - the lusciousness in this whole grain bread is leftover filling from Nut Free Baklava plus an extra drizzle of honey for luck! The dough even gets an extra hint of decadence from orange flower water and toasted sesame oil.

Remember the filling from my delicious Nut-Free Baklava? Well, I had leftovers on my hands, and since our stash of bread was running low, I figured what better use than in a swirled bread? I don't often go "overboard" on the decadent loaves for mom, especially since that we're well into the short sleeve and shorts weather, but once in a while it serves as a nice treat! This bread is a heavy adaptation from the Cinnamon Swirl Bread on Pinch of Yum, which looked decadent and one I'm definitely going to make in the future!

Since I was making bread with a baklava-style swirl, I figured I would pull in some other Greek(ish) flavours with the dough. A dash of orange juice and orange flower water added a light fruity and floral note, while toasted sesame oil shone through with a nutty tone. Using yogurt instead of water kept the dough impossibly soft and tender, which was a great contrast with the crunchy bits in the filling. It's a good thing this recipe makes two big loaves, because my mom couldn't wait to dig in - they were barely room temperature by the time she cut into them!

Baklava Swirl Bread
Makes 2 large loaves
2 tbsp instant yeast
3 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 cups multigrain flour (I had a 10 grain mix from the bulk store)
2 tbsp wheat gluten (optional but makes a better rise)
2 tbsp lecithin granules (optional, but recommended if freezing)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups plain yogurt (I used a non-dairy one since I had it on hand)
juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp orange flower water
1/4 cup toasted (or dark) sesame oil
1 1/4 cups Nut-Free Baklava filling (see recipe)
2 tbsp wildflower honey

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the yeast, flours, gluten, lecithin, salt, and sugar.
2. Add the yogurt, orange juice, orange flower water and sesame oil. Mix well to make a supple, relatively smooth dough.
3. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until elastic.
4. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled. 
5. Punch down, knead briefly and divide in half.
6. Roll 1 portion of dough into a long rectangle, making the dough as thin as possible (more swirls!)
7. Sprinkle with the Nut-Free Baklava filling and drizzle with honey. 
8. Roll up into a log, pinching the edges to seal. Place seam side down on a sheet of parchment and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough, filling and honey.
9. Let dough rest while the oven heats (with a baking stone if possible) to 350F.
10. Slide dough onto the baking stone or place the baking sheet in the oven.
11. Bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour, tenting with foil after 40 minutes if it is browning too quickly. 
12. Cool completely, then slice on an angle for the best swirl (and biggest slices!)