Maple Pecan Blueberry Bread

Well, another Olympics is in the books, and (to toot our own horn) Canada did respectably - 22 medals, 4 more than the London Games and only 3 shy of the last Winter Olympics. While I admittedly didn't watch most of the Games (not a sports person in the least), I am still immensely proud of my country and how our athletes represented the values of our nation and the Games as a whole. 

In celebration, I decided to capitalize on a few hallmarks of Canadian cuisine to make our weekly loaf of bread. First, I infused some locally made butter with a mixture of Jakemans Pure Maple Syrup and my go-to Grade B (which is now apparently called "Dark Colour and Robust Taste"). Then came the Canadian-grown whole wheat and soy flours as well as a handful of flax seed for texture. To add some fruitiness, home-dried wild blueberries peppered the dough. While not Canadian, I added some pecans to the loaf as well. My mom loves pecan butter tarts, and the occasional buttery crunch just adds extra decadence to morning toast.

Sliced, toasted and topped with butter (or almost any Toast Topper), the loaf was delicious and hearty... and just Canadian enough to be "I am Canadian" cliche. Time to break out the plaid, Mountie gear and canoes!

Maple Pecan Blueberry Bread
Makes 1 loaf, 18 slices

Maple Butter:
¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
¼ cup dark amber maple syrup

Bread:
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
½ cup kinako (toasted soy flour)
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp whole flaxseed
2 tsp instant yeast
1 ⅓ cups whole milk, slightly warm
½ cup maple butter, recipe above (if you want to be “old school” Canadian, use the totally maple-free Map-o-Spread)
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
⅓ cup chopped pecans
⅓ cup dried blueberries, soaked in hot water and drained
Milk, for brushing

Maple butter:

1. Combine butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until butter melts.
2. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Bread:

1. Combine the flour, kinako, ginger, nutmeg and flaxseed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
2. Add the milk and mix 2 minutes. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
3. Add the maple butter, salt, eggs and yolk and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Dough will be stiff.
4. Cover and let rest 1 hour.
5. Punch down and knead in the pecans and blueberries by hand.
6. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased 9x5” loaf pan.
7. Cover and let rise 1 hour, until the loaf just crests the top of the pan.
8. Heat oven to 375F
9. Bake for 50 minutes or until well browned and 190F internally.
10. Immediately remove loaf from pan and let cool on rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 191.3
Total Fat: 7.1 g
Cholesterol: 39.5 mg
Sodium: 34.6 mg
Total Carbs: 28.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.6 g
Protein: 6.6 g