Fruity, nutty bread tastes of Scandinavia

Oprah Winfrey once said, “I love bread!” I love bread, too, and I really love this bread with pear, sage and hazelnuts boasting Nordic flair.

“Nordic cuisine is grounded and earthy,” said Simon Bajada, an Australian- born chef who lives in Sweden and is author of “Nordic Light: Lighter, Everyday Eating From a Scandinavian Kitchen.”

It uses ingredients that are part of the landscape and are prepared using traditional techniques, reflected in the flavors. Nordic cuisine is rich in seafood, grains, berries, seasonal vegetables and lean meats, showcasing a rather healthy diet.

Scandinavians are big on bread, and not just common white and sourdough varieties. Icelandic flatbreads have an ancient heritage, dating to AD 874. Crispbreads are deeply red with beets or loaded with seeds; crunchy wafer crisps work beautifully in salads or atop soups to replace boring croutons; flourless savory buns are great with coffee; and pull-apart breads can feature beloved Mediterranean flavors such as fig and fennel.

But the popular Danish rye bread stands out from the pack. Also sold in the other Nordic countries, it is a waxy bread, said Bajada, dense and packed with seeds and similar to pumpernickel.

As accompaniments to other foods, “Nordic breads give a lot of diversity in terms of flavors to what you’re eating,” Bajada said. More important, there’s a sweetness because molasses or golden syrup is often incorporated in the preparation.

This bread is a “crossover between sweet and savory,” Bajada said. Inspired by the classic marriage of sage and brown butter with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts that counterbalance the plump pears, this is a head-turner. Dense and flavorful, sturdy and satiating, it is tinged with a warm aroma of nutmeg and ginger.

It’s also versatile and easy to prepare, similar to a banana bread but with unique flavors. It can be savored for breakfast as the main component, laced with a slice of cheese or slathered with butter for lunch, served warm alongside coffee for an elegant dessert, or enjoyed at room temperature as a midday snack. And, as a bonus, it toasts nicely the next day.

Pear, Sage and Hazelnut Bread

Adapted from “Nordic Light: Lighter, Everyday Eating From a Scandinavian Kitchen” by Simon Bajada, (Hardie Grant Books; August 2016, $39.99)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 sage stalks, leaves stripped
• 1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 medium ripe pears, peeled and cored, 2 grated and 1 sliced to decorate
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 340 degrees (see note). Butter and flour a 10-by-4-inch loaf pan.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat with sage leaves. Be careful not to burn butter; just heat it until it starts to brown and sage leaves turn a little crispy. Remove from heat, but keep in a warm place so butter remains liquid.

In a large bowl, mix hazelnuts with oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, grated pear, yogurt, warm sage butter and vanilla extract. Gradually add dry mixture to wet, stirring well, to form a heavy, wet dough halfway between a thick cake batter and a bread dough. Add a little more flour if dough is a bit wet, or a little extra yogurt (1 tablespoon at a time) if too dry.

Spoon dough into prepared loaf pan and smooth top with back of a spoon. Arrange pear slices on top and sprinkle with a few teaspoons brown sugar. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Note: If you can’t set oven to 340 degrees, bake bread at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. After 60 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes until it is done. Serves 8.

Nutritional information unavailable.