Bread making has been an absolute pleasure for me since we decided to go healthy. I have experimented in ways that I had never thought of before. And one of the biggest motivations for me was that my husband looked forward to these as substitute for dessert. That meant, it needed to be healthy and tasty. Most desserts don't qualify as both at the same time so these breads have been my ways of getting there.

Yes they are healthy and tasty and even though they don't necessarily fall in the desserts category - they serve the purpose. They are around to satisfy the sweet cravings - loaded with nuts and fruits .... flavour in one form or the other without the excessive sugar and fat. The best part is that they are loaded with whole grains, rolled oats and wholemeal. This bread is the right kind of snack to have between meals - it is nutritious and low GI - gives slow sustained energy that keeps you going till the next meal.

The bread was inspired from this cinnamon raisin swirl bread I had made previously. In order to make it healthier, I used a mixture of whole wheat flour, wholemeal and rolled oats. Brown sugar is used as the sweetener in the dough was some and a fruit and nut mixture along with cinnamon and honey is used to prepare the filling for the swirl. The dough also contains some dry fruits, vanilla and cinnamon to make it flavorful and give added sweetness and texture contrast in some bites.

Ingredients:

Bread Dough:

3 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups rolled oats

1/4 cups wholemeal

1 egg (beaten)

2 tsp active dried yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tablespoons + 1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 cup water (plus more if needed)

1/4 cup chopped mixed dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, apricots - use any dried fruit of your choice here)

Filling:

1/4 cup chopped almonds/almond bits/any other nuts of choice

2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup chopped mixed dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, apricots - use any dried fruit of your choice here)

Method:

1. Take 1/4 cup of water in a microwave proof bowl, add a tsp of brown sugar to this and dissolve well. Heat it for a few seconds till it reaches a temperature of 38-48C/100-120F. Add the active dried yeast to it and mix well. Leave aside for a few seconds. The mixture becomes frothy and bubbly.

2. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the dough and mix well. Add the egg, vanilla extract, yeast mixture and remaining water and knead into a soft dough. Add more water if needed to reach the desired consistency of the dough.

3. Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Set it aside to rise till the dough is doubled in size.

4. Mix all the ingredients of the filling in a separate bowl.

5. When the dough has risen, remove the plastic cover and punch it down. Sprinkle whole wheat flour on a clean work surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle more whole wheat flour on the dough and roll it out into a rectangle.

6. Spread the filling mixture all over the dough, keeping it about 1/2 inch away from the edges. Start rolling the dough along the long edge till the dough becomes a log.

7. Place the log in a lightly greased loaf pan or you can line the pan with parchment paper. Cover this with a plastic wrap and let it rise for a second rising.

8. When the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Place the loaf pan with the risen dough in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, till the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped at the bottom.

9. Once the bread has baked, remove the bread from the pan, turn it onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, cut into slices and serve.