This date bread is very similar to the sourdough date muffins that I sometimes make. Similar, but much, much sweeter. I actually halved the sugar called for in this recipe and it still came out bordering on cloying. I mean, it was good. But definitely at the upper limit of actually palatable amounts of sugar. I think I'd probably reduce the sugar even further next time. (And maybe add a little cinnamon as well. I think that would be a nice addition.)

I can, at least, vouch for this being a very easy recipe to put together. And, while it takes a while to bake, it's not super time consuming either. So, it does make for a decent low-effort breakfast offering. Not the most filling or healthy, mind you, but there's still something to be said for easy and tasty.

Date Bread

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 250g dates, chopped
• 1 c. boiling water
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. brown sugar¹
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 150g sourdough discard (optional)
• 1 c. whole wheat flour²
• 1/2 c. soft (plain/standard/pastry) flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Pour the boiling water over the dates, sprinkle in the baking soda, and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grease and flour a loaf pan. (I used a 23x13cm pan, but I think a 20x10cm size would have been slightly better.)
3. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
4. Beat the butter with the sugar.
5. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
6. Mix in the dates (along with all of the soaking liquid) and the sourdough discard (if using).
7. Stir in the flours and cinnamon.
8. Add the walnuts and stir to combine.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth top, and bake at 180°C (350°F) until done (~45 minutes).
10. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
11. Turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.

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¹ The original recipe called for 1 c. of granulated sugar. I used 1/2 c. of brown sugar when I made it (and added ~150g of sourdough starter to the batter) and I found the finished loaf to be pleasant, but very sweet. In my opinion, using the full quantity of sugar would have rendered it completely inedible. I think that, if you're looking for a very sweet, cake-like offering, then 1/2 of sugar is probably fine. But if you'd like a somewhat less sugary breakfast option, then I'd recommend cutting the sugar back even further to 1/4 c. ^Back
2 The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour. I opted for a mix of plain and whole wheat flour for my rendition. I used mostly plain with just a bit of whole wheat this time, but I think I'd flip the script and use more whole wheat next time. ^Back