Cinnamon-Pecan Wheat and Rye Bread

Such a long title. Such a good bread.


This is an excellent breakfast bread, toasted with butter or flavored cream cheese. It's also great as a dessert or used in desserts, like the Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe posted earlier on this blog.

Cinnamon-Pecan Wheat and Rye Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light rye flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add butter, dry milk, wheat flour and rye flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour, kneading until soft and smooth but still springy to the touch. Knead in pecans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Grease two loaf pans. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, punch down and shape into two loaves. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until loaves are golden. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.