This is a great, hearty bran bread that's full of flavor as well as whole grains. The bread isn't loaded with sugar, although it does have a touch of molasses for flavor, and it's studded with a small amount of raisins for little pops of sweetness. The bread is easy to make, and it doesn't require a lot of weird ingredients. You will need some wheat bran (sometimes it's called "miller's bran), and it's best if you soak the bran overnight in the refrigerator. The recipe yields two small/medium loaves, and I usually bake them in the air fryer, which gives the loaves a nice crust that has some crunch but isn't tooth shattering. The bread is great for breakfast, particularly with a slice of cheese or a smear of peanut butter. It's also good for sandwiches and is sufficiently versatile that it can accompany soups or just about anything else you'd like. Enjoy!
Sourdough Bran Bread -- Makes 2 Loaves
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup of wheat bran, soaked in water overnight (in the refrigerator) and then drained
2 tablespoons of molasses
1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt (fat-free is fine)
1 1/2 cups of white whole-wheat flour, plus 1/4 cup to knead
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, oil, egg, wheat bran, molasses, and yogurt and mix them well. Stir in 3/4 cup of the flour until it is combined. Loosely cover the mixture and let it sit for at least an hour (4-5 hours is fine, too, if you have things to do). Stir/knead in the remaining 3/4 up of flour, the salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Knead the mixture for three to five minutes, adding in another 1/4 cup of flour (approximately, you may need more or less) to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead. Knead in the raisins. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape the pieces into loaves. To bake the breads in the regular oven, you can place the shaped loaves into small loaf pans that you have spritzed first with non-stick cooking spray. Spritz the tops of the loaves with non-stick cooking spray or oil, loosely cover them with plastic wrap, and let the loaves rise until they have increased in volume by about one-third. Bake the loaves in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 190-200 degrees. To bake the loaves in the air fryer, you can spritz two pieces of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray and place the loaves on the foil. Shape the foil around the loaves a bit to form rough "pans" to contain the dough. Spritz the tops of the loaves with non-stick cooking spray or oil, loosely cover them with plastic wrap, and let the loaves rise until they have increased in volume by about one-third. You can slash the tops of the dough--about 1/4-inch deep, with a sharp knife--if you'd like, before cooking the loaves. Air fry the loaves (one-at-a-time) at 320 degrees for about 30 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 190-200 degrees. Let the loaves cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before turning them out to cool completely. For neater slices, let the loaves cool completely before slicing them.
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