{twd} oatmeal breakfast bread

This is half of a loaf of bread.

I'm going to tell you what happened to the other half, but first I have a confession. For the second time in as many summers, I've embarked on quite the little health kick. I'm not sure if it has more to do with the champagne and cake fatigue I'm experiencing as a result of the waning wedding season, or with the bounty of produce available at the farmer's market, but come August, I'm always more interested in crudites and core fusion than I am in creme brulee and cupcakes.

So when it came time to make this Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, I decided to make a few tweaks to ensure that I could enjoy this tasty treat while still getting my day off to a healthy start. I replaced all of the white flour with whole wheat flour, used soy milk instead of buttermilk, and reduced the sugar (I used brown) to 2/3 cup. As for mix-ins, I went with dried apricots and cherries. The verdict? It may be healthy, but it still tastes like eating dessert for breakfast.

Don't believe me? I made this bread on Sunday night (after returning from yet another champagne and cake filled wedding weekend) and the full loaf pan was still sitting atop its cooling rack when I left for work the next morning. Next to it was money and a note for my cleaning lady, who was coming to my apartment while I was gone. Apparently she assumed that I left the pan on the counter for her . . . because I returned home that evening to find that nearly half the loaf had already been eaten! Not that I can blame her. Health kick or no health kick, this bread really does make for a delicious breakfast.

Thanks to Natalie of Oven Love for this week's choice. You can find the recipe for the Oatmeal Breakfast Bread on her blog or on page 44 of Dorie's book. And be sure to check out what TWD is baking next week when it's (finally) my turn to pick the weekly recipe!