Bran Breakfast Bread with Fruit

You can bake a delicious, hearty bran muffin loaf by adapting classic bran muffin batter into a standard 9x5" loaf pan and baking it at 350°F (175°C) for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

1½ cups wheat bran, unprocessed
1 cup buttermilk or milk
⅓ cup pure dark Québec maple syrup
⅔ cup Erythritol Gold
⅓ cup vegetable oil or butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour, unbleached
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup raisins or other dried fruit, soaked in hot milk or water until plump, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5x3" loaf pan with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, buttermilk and maple syrup. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes so the bran softens and absorbs the liquid.

Beat the brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla into the soaked bran mixture until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined, then fold in the raisins if using.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.