Currant-Nut Coffee Bread

Instant coffee dissolved in the water gives this bread machine loaf a warm, roasted flavor that pairs naturally with currants and toasted nuts. It’s not an overpowering coffee taste, more of a deep, malty backdrop that makes the brown sugar and fruit flavors richer.

Applesauce replaces most of the fat you’d normally find in a sweet bread, keeping the crumb moist without heaviness. The currants plump up during the long bread machine cycle and burst with tart sweetness in every slice, while chopped toasted almonds or pecans add crunch.

Use the light setting on your bread machine. The sugars in this dough brown faster than a plain white bread, and the regular setting can leave you with a crust that’s too dark and bitter.

Kitchen Tips

• Dissolve the instant coffee completely in the water before adding it to the machine. Undissolved granules leave bitter pockets in the bread.
• Add the currants and nuts at the “add-in” beep if your machine has one. Adding them at the start can break them down into mush.
• Toast the almonds or pecans before adding. Raw nuts taste flat in bread; toasted nuts bring out their oils and flavor.

Variations

• Use dried cherries instead of currants for a tart, festive twist.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a coffee-spice bread that’s great toasted with butter.
• Replace brown sugar with maple sugar for a deeper, more complex sweetness.