Bran Raisin Loaf Twist
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A loaf blending whole wheat bran and dried apricots replacing raisins, with oat flour and honey swapped for white flour and brown sugar. Leavened with baking soda and lemon juice, giving slight tang. Oil replaced by melted coconut. Moist crumb, fragrant, crunchy bits from bran. Best baked till crust crackles and tester clean but moist crumbs cling slightly. Keeps well wrapped. Simple, rustic, often underbaked first go; pay attention to aroma and surface cracks rather than just time.
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
Servings:
10 slices
#baking
#bread
#bran
#apricots
#whole wheat
#quick bread
#natural leavening
Nothing screams breakfast loaf like bran and fruit. Bran has that dry, gritty biting texture I initially mistrusted but, paired right, it’s magic. Apricots instead of raisins bring chew and tang. Honey adds subtle floral sweet layers instead of straightforward brown sugar: less processed, deeper flavor. Swapping coconut oil for canola gives slight exotic notes and a soft aftertaste, though it bakes a bit differently—don’t substitute with olive oil unless you want herbaceous undertones. Baking soda with lemon juice (instead of powder alone) gives a gentle lift and counterbalances the bran’s heaviness. Egg ties it all into a firm but tender crumb. All those interactions determine crumb, rise, texture; close watching recommended. I’ll rant about oven hot spots later—don’t trust time blindly here.
Ingredients
- 115 g white whole wheat flour
- 60 g honey
- 70 g wheat bran
- 7 ml baking soda
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 1 ml fine sea salt
- 290 ml buttermilk
- 70 ml melted coconut oil
- 1 organic egg
- 110 g dried apricots chopped
About the ingredients
Flour: white whole wheat brings some fiber but lighter crumb than traditional. Bran: wheat or oat bran good; oat bran milder flavor. Be sure bran’s fresh, stale bran tastes cardboard and ruins loaf. Honey: liquid sweeteners moisten batter differently; adjust flour if batter too wet. Coconut oil: melts smoothly, use virgin for flavor, refined if less taste preferred. Buttermilk key for acid reaction; can substitute yogurt thinned with milk, but acidity and texture slightly altered. Lemon juice activates baking soda’s quick rise so measure carefully. Egg binds; for egg-free, add flax or chia mix but expect denser loaf. Dried apricots chopped, uniform size critical to avoid pockets of hardness. If using frozen fruit, thaw and dry thoroughly to prevent soggy crumb.
Method
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- Set oven rack middle level. Preheat oven to 175 C (345 F). Lightly grease 25 x 10 cm loaf pan and line bottom with parchment, prevents sticking—never skip lining if your pan isn’t nonstick.
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- In big bowl sift together flour, baking soda (reacts with lemon), bran, salt. Mixing dry separately keeps soda well dispersed for even rise; clumps give sour pockets.
- In smaller bowl whisk buttermilk, lemon juice, coconut oil until homogenous. Beat in whole egg thoroughly to avoid eggy pockets.
- Pour wet into dry. Stir just till flour moistened, no more. Few clumps okay—overmixing kills tenderness. Fold in chopped apricots; if too wet, lightly dust with extra bran to absorb excess moisture.
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- Spoon batter into pan. Smooth top gently. Leave reserved apricot bits to scatter on surface — caramelize, give crunch and obvious fruit bites on crust.
- Bake about 35-40 minutes. After 30 min, watch for golden edges, slightly domed top, crust crackling like fall leaves under fingers. Insert skewer at 35; if crumbs stick wetly, little more time.
- Cool loaf 15 min in pan. Don’t rush flipping — warm crumb fragile but still sets while cooling. Then unmold on rack completely. Wait for full cooling before slicing helps crumb firm and clean cuts.
- Store wrapped in plastic for 3-4 days at room temp or freeze slices in parchment to avoid freezer burn.
Cooking tips
Mix dry first to distribute rising agents evenly—skip this and you risk heavy dense loaf or sulfurous spots from uneven baking soda. Wet ingredients combined with whisk to break up yolk well, avoid clumps or raw egg odor. Folding berry or fruit preserves can be fun alternative but changes moisture drastically; add bran if wet. Do not overmix once wet hit dry; some lumps okay, over beating develops gluten and makes loaf tough, ruining bran’s subtlety. Baking time not fixed: smell garlic-like aromas of caramelizing sugars as cue; surface should crack lightly, not burn. Insert skewer near center; clean with moisture clinging slightly means crumb is moist but baked through. Cooling partially in pan prevents sticking, but do not leave too long or loaf gets soggy underneath. Remove and cool completely for slicing; crumb firms up. Wrap in plastic or freeze after cooled; leftover loaf tends to dry quickly due to bran.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Sift dry ingredients first to evenly spread baking soda; uneven mix leads to sour patches or heavy spots. Watch batter moisture closely; too wet means folded apricots still add extra liquid so dust more bran rather than flour. Overmixing kills tenderness; stir just till barely moistened, lumps okay. Coconut oil melts smoothly but temperature matters; melted but not hot or will scramble egg when combined.
- 💡 Preheat oven fully—175 C steady heat critical not to rush top or cause uneven rise. Use parchment and grease pan well; bran sticks otherwise. Middle rack best for balanced heat. Watch crust color after 30 minutes, listen for crackling sounds like dry leaves—not burnt edges. Insert skewer carefully near center; slight crumbs sticking means moist crumb not raw batter.
- 💡 When folding chopped apricots, size uniformity crucial; large chunks harden pockets, small bits distribute better. Reserve some apricot pieces for surface sprinkle; they caramelize nicely adding crunch, offsets bran's dryness. Cool loaf partially in pan for 15 minutes; warm crumb fragile still sets slowly. Flip with care; unmolding too soon breaks loaf. Always cool fully on rack before slicing or crumb squashes.
- 💡 If using substitute yogurt for buttermilk, thin with milk to match buttermilk acidity; different acid levels affect soda reaction causing poor rise or sour flavor. Lemon juice activates baking soda immediately so mix wet ingredients right before combining dry. Inconsistent timing leads to flat loaf. Salt affects flavor and balance; don't skip or overpower—it controls bran bitterness and rising agent reaction subtly.
- 💡 Egg free swap with flax or chia gel works but expect denser crumb and weaker rise; bran texture more obvious then. Adjust moisture by adding more bran for absorbency. Use virgin coconut oil for flavor hints; refined if prefer less aroma but baking times may slightly shift. Don’t substitute olive oil here: heat changes flavor drastically, herbaceous notes distract. Watch aromas instead of clock for doneness signals—slightly garlicky from caramelizing sugars.
Common questions
Why use lemon juice instead of plain baking powder?
Baking soda needs acid to react; lemon juice provides fast lift while balancing bran's heaviness. Without acid, loaf dense or sulfur smell. Sour milk or yogurt alternative but juice measured carefully or off taste.
What to do if batter too runny?
Add bran gradually not flour, bran soaks moisture better. Over flour leads to tough crumb. If frozen apricots thawed wet, dry thoroughly before adding. Fold gently don’t overmix or breakdown fruit texture.
How know loaf is done without timer?
Look for golden edges, lighter top with slight domes, cracks forming crust. Listen for gentle crackling. Skewer inserted center should come out with moist crumbs barely sticking—wet batter means more bake. Smell caramel notes.
Best storage practices?
Wrap cooled loaf in plastic tightly for 3-4 days room temp; bran dries loaf fast so no air. For longer store freeze slices in parchment. Thaw at room temp prevents soggy crust. Avoid refrigeration, it dries out crumb quick.
