Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread

When one wakes up at 5:15am to bake bread, it causes one to reevaluate one's life. Is this normal behavior, one thinks? Maybe on a prairie. In a Little House. Back in olden times. One starts to wonder... am I addicted to baking? Am I addicted to this blog? Did I add enough crack to this coffee? Is that my child I hear, ALREADY awake, what the... ?!?!?

*Update... the rest of this post was written hours and nine cups of coffee later, during nap time.

Where did I leave off? Babies and crack and BAKING! Right, baking. I suppose I will take the first step and admit that I have a problem but am I really harming myself or others with this bread? This sweet and salty, crunchy, PB&J-like homemade bread?! Besides, I can control this addiction. No really, I can stop anytime. Just gotta remove my oven first.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread
Recipe slightly adapted from My Bread
(Makes 1 loaf)

1 large egg, beaten
2 cups plus 2 T bread flour
2 T whole wheat flour (which I didn't have, I used all-purpose)
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast (I used active dry)
1 cup plus 2 T cool water
3 T unsalted smooth peanut butter (mine had salt in it, oops)
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1/3 cup seedless jam of choice (I used organic blackberry)
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting

In a medium bowl, stir both together both flours, salt, yeast and beaten egg (reserving one T of the egg for later). In a blender or food processor, combine peanut butter and water. Add to bowl and stir until sticky dough forms. It helps to use your hands. Add 1/4 cup of the peanuts and combine. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temp for 12 hours.


During the 12 hours, the dough should rise and double in size. After that's happened, wake up at 5:15am to finish. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, as well as your work area. Remove dough and lightly flatten with hands into an 8x12 inch rectangle.


Spoon jelly onto dough and spread with a spoon, making sure to leave a 1-inch border of dough.


Spray bread pan with cooking spray. Coat bottom with remaining peanuts.


Position the rectangle so that the long side is in front of you. Take dough and slowly roll into a cylinder. Tuck ends of the roll under to seal them. Place in bread pan, seam side down. Cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450.


Brush bread with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. My oven is small and hot so I only baked it for an hour.


*Note: If I hadn't used all of my peanut butter to bake this bread, I would have spread some on top. Think it could use slightly more of the flavor.