Hazelnut cranberry bread Recipe Gluten-free, dairy-free (casein-free), hypotoxic and vegan

ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

• 20 g (30 ml / 2 tbsp) white chia*
• 385 g (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour "La Merveilleuse"
• 7,5 ml (1 1/2 tsp) instant yeast
• 3,5 ml (3/4 tsp) salt
• 385 g (1 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) water at 45 °C (113 °F)
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup
• 1 large egg, beaten (see eggless version below)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon zest
• 160 g (1 cup) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 85 g (1/2 cup) grilled hazelnuts**, roughly chopped

PREPARATION

1. Using a coffee grinder, finely grind the chia.
2. In a large bowl, blen the following dry ingredients: ground chia, flour, salt, yeast. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine water, oil, maple syrup, egg, and lemon zest. Beat vigorously then pour into the flour mixture.
4. Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the flat beater, on medium speed, blend for about 2 minutes or until the dough has thickened.
5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth, let rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 45 minutes to an hour (the dough is ready when it has doubled in volume and has slight cracking on the surface).
6. After resting, stir the dough with a wooden spoon. Add the cranberries and hazelnuts and stir again.
7. Cover a rectangular bread mold,  23 cm x 13 cm (9 " x 5 ") with parchment paper.
8. Place the dough in the mold and spread it evenly using a wet spatula.   Put the mold on the middle rack of the oven with the light on and a bowl with 500 ml (2 cups) of hot water. Let rise for about 25 to 30 minutes. The bread is ready to bake when lightly pressing a finger on the dough leaves a mark and does not bounce back.  Without removing the bread, set the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). After 20 minutes, cover, so as to keep the top from cooking too quickly.
9. Cook for about  1 h to 1 h 10 or until the bread is golden. Cooking time may vary depending on the pan's coating. 
10. Remove from oven, unmold, and let cool on a wire rack.

TIP

* If you use chia seeds that are already commercially ground, the grind is not thin enough and the density is not the same for whole seeds and ground seeds. It is therefore essential to use the measurement in grams and grind your seeds again in a coffee grinder in order to obtain a fine powder.

** If you wish to grill the hazelnuts, here's how:
This step is optional. However, grilling the hazelnuts brings out their flavor and diminishes the slight bitterness of the skin.
Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast on the middle rack of the oven that's been preheated to 120 °C (250 °F) for 30 minutes. Let cool then remove skin.

It is very important to cover the bread in order to keep the top from cooking too fast. Cover first with parchment, then with aluminum foil on top of the parchment. The parchment will keep the aluminum from directly touching the bread.