Cherry Almond Chocolate Bread

So, I have been kind of addicted to making bread every weekend. It's nice to have as a snack, for a light breakfast, or if it a savory bread, nice for dipping into pasta sauces and such. Yum. Anyways, I have made some additions to Jim Lahey's No-Work Bread recipe, as found in Mark Bittman's book and originally presented on this blog here. 

Last week, I made an almond and raisin-filled loaf for Ben's parents, and wanted to make another sweet loaf for myself. I still had plenty of almonds and thought that dried cherries would make a nice compliment to them. The dark chocolate was just for the hell of it.

Cherry Almond Chocolate Bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp. vital wheat gluten

2 tbsp. 5-grain cereal grain

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1-2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into little pieces

1/4 tsp. yeast

1-2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

1/2 cup dried cherries

6 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

Water

Olive Oil

Additional flour

Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the yeast and almonds. You may omit the wheat gluten and cereal if you wish. They were added to boost texture and nutrition, as the vital wheat gluten is rich in protein. 

Put the dried cherries in a bowl, add a splash of water, cover, and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes to soften and re-hydrate the cherries. Place the cherries and the liquid in a measuring cup with the brown sugar and almond extract, and add cold water, filling the measuring cup to the 2-cup line. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing with a spoon. The mixture will be shaggy, and does not need to be particularly perfectly blended, as the long rising time will make the mixture more homogenous. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into the largest mixing bowl in your kitchen, and then add the bread dough, taking care to scrape as much dough from the bowl as possible. 

Cover, and allow the dough to rise for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. Prepare a work surface with a liberal amount of flour, and pour out the risen dough. Work the dough lightly, kneading a couple of times in order to shape the dough into a nice round shape, and let the dough rise for 2 more hours on a floured cotton towel. 

Heat your oven to 450 degrees with a large dutch oven or stock pot inside, for 30 minutes. Once the oven is heated, carefully flop the bread dough inside, using the cloth to your advantage (this part takes some practice). Recover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the bread is well-browned. Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. 

Bread Bowls!

Isn't it the most precious little bread bowl you've ever seen? And, despite my suspicions to the contrary (hence the backup bowl), the soup was retained by its bread container! Huzzah!

Yummy Roasted Tomato Soup

The "yummy" here stands for the mix of other delicious ingredients. I couldn't decide which ones to include: the fennel, leak, or perhaps white beans? The tomatillo? It just got too clumsy. 

Suffice it to say, this is the best soup I have ever made. It took forever to get it smooth, but it was so worth it. Bread is a critical side to this soup, and I would even serve this soup in a bread bowl in the future, if I ever have the gumption to make bread bowls. [Note to self: do this immediately]

Yummy Tomato Soup:

2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes

2 large or 3 medium garlic cloves, sliced

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium fennel bulb, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 large shallot, sliced

1 tomatillo, chopped 

1 medium onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine

1 15-oz. can great northern white beans

4 cups vegetable stock

1 large rosemary sprig, or 1 tsp. dried rosemary

10 small leaves each Italian basil and Thai basil

2-3 tbsp. rice vinegar

Additional salt and pepper, as needed

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Strain the tomatoes over a bowl in order to collect the tomato juice, which will be added back later. In the sink, rinse the tomatoes, and remove their seeds, placing the rinsed tomatoes back in the strainer over the collecting bowl, so they can continue to drain. Prepare an oven-safe baking dish by pouring in 2 tbsp. olive oil and moving the dish around until the bottom is well-covered. Slice the garlic, and chop about and 1/4 cup of the fennel. Place the tomatoes in the dish, tucking the garlic pieces within the tomatoes, and sprinkling overtop with the fennel and a good amount of salt and pepper. Place in the oven, on a middle rack, and cook for 40-45 minutes, finishing with an additional 10 minutes under the broiler. Note that you do not need to move the tomatoes to a higher rack.

While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the vegetables, taking care to rinse the leek well before chopping. I recommend cutting through the stalk twice, in an X-shape, and then running the leek under water, separating the layer and rinsing well. Make sure to fully remove the husk of the tomatillo. 

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the pot is ready, add in the vegetables, the poultry seasoning, the Hungarian sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on good color. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, and good for an additional 5 minutes on medium heat. Open the great northern beans and rinse under cool water. Add in the beans and the rosemary sprig and cook on low to medium-low until the tomatoes are finished. 

Turn off the burner, remove the rosemary sprig, and pour the contents into your food processor or blender, along with the roasted tomatoes and garlic. Blend well, using a spatula to scrape down the sides a few times.  

Put the blended mixture in a strainer and use a whisk to push through the liquid. This is the hardest step, and would be easier if I had a blender. Maybe you do, and will have an easier go of it than me. Though I did not initially do this, I would recommend putting the soup through in batches, adding in a bit of the set-aside tomato juice as you go. 

Once you have finished straining the soup, return it to your pot, along with the vegetable stock and basil leaves, and cook for about 20 more minutes on medium-low heat. Salt and pepper to taste, and add in the rice vinegar at the very end of cooking. 

Remove the basil leaves before serving, and garnish with fresh basil if you wish, though I recommend leaving it out, because the texture of the soup is just so pleasant unadulterated. Do as I say, not as I do on this one. Serve with copious amounts of dipping bread, and enjoy!

Wow, It's Been Forever.

I have some recipes that I would like to put up, but am currently unable to find my camera cord. This is frustrating. Oh well.

I feel like such a failure for not posting for so long, but I was kind of a victim of circumstance. Our trip to Alaska meant that we were eating sad dribs and drabs in order to clear out our fridge before we left, and then we were gone for two weeks, largely eating underwhelming foodstuffs. Then we were moving, then we had no internet, then I was back in Seattle at the end of July, blah blah blah. 

Suffice it to say, I'm still around, I swear! Recipes for a delicious tomato (and other magical things!) soup, vegetable and tofu tagine, and beer-battered fish tacos coming up. I also have a couple of sauces/marinades I've whipped up to share with y'all. Yay!

Peanut Butter Mystery

What is it with vegans and peanut butter? 

I have never been a regular peanut butter eater. A brief attempt at fitting in at school that involved specifically requesting PB&J sandwiches never got off the ground. Well, it did in a way: after not eating the first sandwich during lunch, I speared it onto a tree branch after getting home in order to hide the evidence. My mom's telling of the story reveals that I broke after little questioning, confessing that I "put it in a tree." 

Every once in a while I would get a peanut butter craving totally out of the blue, eat one spoonful, and remain uninterested for months at a time. 

However, ever since becoming vegan I cannot get enough peanut butter. It is a delicious snack. It's awesome on raisin bread. And, it is a critical component of the world's most perfect dessert. Behold!

Chunky peanut butter + dark chocolate chocolate chips = YUM!

Biggest. Avocado seed. Ever.

I mean look at this guy:

And, a cooking show Pet Peeve: why do all the cooking hosts insist on the "stab your knife into the seed and twist" method of removing the avocado seed? The only thing that's ever gotten me is a broken avocado seed. 

I just poke the tip of my knife near where the seed meets the flesh and use the leverage of the knife to pop the seed out. I guess it's because I haven't gored myself this way that I think it's superior. Oh well. 

Picture Change

You happy now, Lucas?

Roasted Butternut Squash, Plain and Pasta-fied

Is there anything prettier than a butternut squash? I think not. And they are so delicious and simple to prepare. 

I have a hard time deciding between savory and sweet when it comes to things like squash and sweet potatoes, so I usually mix everything together to cover all the flavor bases. 

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1 squash, sliced in half and cleaned

Herbes de Provence

Salt and Pepper

Brown Sugar

Extra-Virgin olive oil

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, with a rack in a middle position. Rub down your squash with the olive oil, place in an oven-safe baking dish, and sprinkle liberally with the herbes de provence, brown sugar, salt and pepper. 

Cook for 25-30 minutes until the squash is well-softened. Your house will smell amazing.

You can use the squash to make a simple pasta "sauce" by removing the meat of the squash, chopping it well, and combining it with equal parts mushroom and onion.

Cook well, spice liberally, deglaze with some white wine, add some basil, and you will have a light and lovely meal.

Vegan BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Tomato)

Well, I told you I was going to try making some tofu bacon, and try I did. It didn't get the pleasantly tough bacon-y texture that the Platonic Form at Bouldin Creek Cafe had, but the flavor was super, and I have a feeling that it was my tofu-pressing impatience that held me back here. I also should have cut the slices thinner. Oh well, room for improvement.

Seeing as how the actual sandwich bit is just basic assembly (and obviously you can switch up any of the vegetables), I think I'll just put the recipes for some of the components along with some other tips as they come to me.

Chipotle Sauce:

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo (depending on size)

2 tbsp. Tofutti sour cream

Generous squeeze of lime

Dash of salt

First, let me share a tip when it comes to canned chipotle peppers. No matter how small a can you get, there is no way to use up all the contents in one sitting, and the cans are of such a size that they can be pushed to the back of the fridge with ease and, sadly, forgotten. In order to solve this problem, I have begun freezing each pepper (and a bit of the adobo sauce) individually by placing them in an ice cube tray. They reheat really quickly, and it really stretches the utility of each can, as no peppers are left to molder. 

Anyways, combine the ingredients in a food processor, and blend well. Because it is such a small amount, the food processor will not be able to get everything completely combined. This is okay, because you can simply put the resulting sauce through a fine sieve. Large chunks of chipotle skin will be removed, but the flavor will remain. 

Tofu Bacon:

Approx. 1 tbsp. each smoked paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar

1/3 package extra-firm tofu

2 tsp. peanut oil, or other neutral oil

After pressing your tofu for about 20 minutes, and pushing out as much moisture as possible, combine your spices, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingers. Slice your tofu, and coat each piece well, letting it sit for at least ten minutes. 

Heat a non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat with about 2 tsp. of peanut oil, and add in the tofu slices once the pan is hot. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, and do not be scared of some charring, as the brown sugar will burn a bit. This adds to the bacon-y flavor.

Assemble your sandwich, coating your bread liberally with the chipotle spread. I used slices of herb and garlic Double Oven Bread and toasted them on one one side by cutting the bread thin and putting two slices in each toaster compartment. Genius. 

Coconut Milk Oatmeal with Mango

There's a little spot right under the Blue Line, Vella Cafe, that I've been frequenting for a little bit now. Not only is it the home of the Vegetarian Bahn Mi sandwich of my dreams [rhapsodized about here and here], but they have some might fine breakfast choices as well.

One thing I've noticed on their wall-mounted menu is Coconut Milk Oatmeal. I was intrigued certainly but unwilling to shell out the 5 bucks or so to try it there, and decided instead to make some myself. Oh boy, this stuff is good. I added some mango in an homage to a delicious dessert - Mango Sticky Rice - that I have been enjoying as of late.

Coconut Milk Oatmeal with Mango (serves 1):

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup Lite coconut milk, plus additional water to get liquid up to 1 and 1/3 cups

1/2 tsp. salt

1 champagne or manila mango cut into bite-sized slices (if using a standard mango, use only half)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Mango juice or water to cover

Additional brown sugar as desired

Begin by preparing your mango and combining it in a bowl with the 2 tbsp. brown sugar and enough liquid to dissolve the sugar and cover a majority of the fruit. Set aside so that the mango can absorb a bit of the additional sweetness, tossing every now and again so that every piece has a chance to macerate. 

Prepare your oatmeal as you would with any other liquid, by bringing the liquid to a low boil and adding in the oats, stirring occasionally (and adding additional liquid if necessary) until the mixture can coat the back of spoon and the oats have begun to break down a bit. [Additional instructions here, if you please]

Once the oatmeal is ready, strain the fruit and place it atop the oatmeal with a bit of extra brown sugar if you wish. 

Double Oven Bread Beauty Shots

Man, I can not talk enough about this bread. I've stumbled into a delicious add-in of garlic and a mix of rosemary, basil, and oregano, and wanted to show off how pretty these loaves are turning out.  Behold!

Thai Salad Roll Wrap

I am a huge fan of Salad Rolls. They're light, fresh, and not greasy at all like a Spring Roll can be. Usually they are filled with some combination of herbs, like basil and cilantro, vermicelli noodles, tofu, and sprouts, though there is some wiggle room, it seems, when it comes to fillings.

I had a yen for a Salad Roll-type wrap and used what I had on hand to make a delicious spin on this Thai restaurant favorite.

Thai Salad Roll Wrap (makes 2):

2 whole wheat tortillas/flatbreads/what-have-you

2 thick slices tofu

2 large romaine lettuce leaves

1 carrot, peeled into strips

6 thin slices of cucumbers, sliced again

4 large leaves basil

14 mint leaves

2-3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped roughly

1/4-inch amount soba noodles (measure with your index finger wrapped around the dry noodles)

1 tbsp. green curry paste 

2 tbsp. soy sauce, divided

1/4-1/3 cup water

2 tbsp. vegan sour cream

2-3 tsp. Sriracha, divided

Juice from half a lime

Salt and pepper

Begin by heating your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your tofu, coating it with a mixture of 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. Sriracha, and salt and pepper. Once the oven is heated, place the tofu on a well-oiled piece of aluminum foil and put it in the oven on a high rack. 

The tofu will cook for about 15-20 minutes, and should be flipped halfway through the cooking process. This will give you plenty of time to prepare your vegetables.

Next, heat some water in a medium-sized pot. Once the water is boiling, add your noodles and cook about 5 minutes until they are done. Return the noodles to the cooking pot with 1 tbsp. soy sauce, the green curry paste and as much water as needed to cover, and cook on the lowest possible heat setting, stirring occasionally. 

Mix together 1-2 tsp. Sriracha, the sour cream, and the lime juice. This will be used to coat the wrap, adding flavor and keeping the wrap from being too dry. 

Once the noodles have absorbed their cooking liquid, and the tofu has been removed from the oven, and cut lengthwise into thirds, you are ready to assemble your wraps.

Begin by coating your wrap with the sour cream and Sriracha mixture. Place the romaine leaf down, and fill it with three slices of the tofu, and about half of the carrots and cucumber. Next to this, add the herb ingredients, the basil, mint, and cilantro, and top with half of the soba noodles.

Wrap everything together as snugly as possible, and enjoy!

Fun With Leftovers!: Tamale Filling Breakfast Tacos

This was such an easy repurposing of our leftover filling, and the flavors were even more delicious the second time through. Three of these babies made for a perfect breakfast.

Tamale Filling Breakfast Tacos:

Approx. 1/2 cup each tamale filling, rice, and beans, stirred together

3 half-inch thick slices of tofu

1/2 tsp. each cumin, turmeric, and Sriracha

1 leaf romaine lettuce for each taco

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

1/3 avocado, sliced

1 tsp. neutral oil

Corn tortillas

Vegan sour cream and green salsa to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oil in small frying pan over medium-heat. Once the pan is ready, add the tofu, cumin, turmeric, and Sriracha, and cook until the tofu breaks up, mimicking a scrambled egg, and is well-browned.

Heat your tamale filling, rice, and beans mixture, as well as the corn tortillas, in the microwave, and begin your assembly. Place the leaf of romaine on the bottom, followed by the tomatoes and avocado. I used about three slices of tomato and one slice of avocado per taco. Add as much tamale filling as the tortilla can accommodate and top with sour cream and salsa. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice, and enjoy your breakfast!

Tamales, Tamales!

A few days ago, I had a vision for making tamales while I was driving back from dropping Adam off at school. I had gotten very far in my masa-filled fantasy when I remembered that, in fact, I had to work late and would be having dinner at work. Alas!

The desire for tamales remained, and the next time we did our shopping for the week, supplies were purchased. I would say that I have room for improvement with this recipe, but I think you can do better than I. For one, I was too impatient with my olive oil (and think I'm going to use corn or peanut oil next time) and didn't let it completely solidify. You'll understand later. The filling, though? Yum. 

Tamales with Pan-Roasted Vegetables:

Corn Husks

3 cups dry masa harina

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed and pulsed in the food processor

1 cup neutral oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Filling:

2 Mexican squashes/calabacitas or 1 zucchini, julienned

1/2 red onion, sliced 

1 1/2 bell peppers of your choice (though green is not recommended), sliced

1 small poblano pepper, sliced really thinly

3 stocks green onion, cut into 2 inch pieces

3 ounces crimini mushrooms, cut into largish pieces

Approx. 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, Sriracha

Salt and pepper, to taste

Begin by rinsing your corn husks and soaking them in warm water, at least 3 hours before you plan to assemble your tamales. 

Next, prepare your oil. Now, tamales are traditionally made with lard, a fat with a very different texture than your common household oil. In order to even come close to a lard-like texture, the oil needs to solidify in your freezer. This is going to take a while - I would even give yourself 2 hours of potential hardening time, as the one hour that Bittman suggested wasn't even close. As to vessels for containing your oil, I went down the flattened freezer bag route, but would also recommend a Pyrex pan lined with Parchment paper for easy removal.

Once your oil is well on its way, prepare your vegetables as indicated above.

Saute your vegetables over medium-high heat until they are well-cooked and have taken on good color. This technique is is the same as used in the Roasted Tofu and Vegetable Enchiladas.

Next prepare your corn masa, by combining the dried masa flour, salt, baking powder, and the chopped corn in a bowl and mixing well. 

Next, transfer this mixture into your food processor and add in the cubed oil, pulsing well until the oil mixes in and the color of your dough lightens considerably. Here you can see the telltale signs of insufficiently hardened oil in my processor bowl. Le sigh. 

Once all of your filling mixtures are prepared, dry some corn husks and begin filling, first spreading the corn mixture over a four-inch square section of corn husk, and then adding a good portion of the vegetable filling in the center area of corn mixture. Wrap the corn husks tightly, and tie off the ends with kitchen string.

Prepare a steamer and steam your tamales for 35-40 minutes. Let the tamales cool for about 5 minutes before unwrapping. 

Serve it up with whatever sides you fancy. We went for some home-cooked black beans, and topped everything off with a squeeze of lime juice.

Guacamole

Look upon its shining brilliance. It is so easy to make, too!

I feel like everyone has a guacamole recipe, and for this reason, this is kind of pointless, but I'm throwing caution to the wind and going for it nonetheless. 

Guacamole (serves 2-3):

1 1/2 avocados (use the rest for other things, or double the batch for company)

2 thin-ish slices red onion, diced fine

6-8 cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced or put through garlic press

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2-1 tsp. Sriracha

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Begin by mashing your garlic with a good bit of sea salt until the mixture takes on a creamy coloration and is very well-combined. Add the avocados, and mash a few times. Then add the tomato, red onion, jalapeno and roughly combine. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the Sriracha and salt and pepper to taste. You will not be disappointed. 

Serve with tortilla chips and the Mexican cerveza of your choice. 

Austin, TX: Magical Tofu Creations

I am a lady who likes her sandwiches. Austin offered a wealth of sandwich varieties, and managed to do delicious things with tofu that I hope to replicate at home.

First up was the Vegetarian Bahn Mi Sandwich with lemongrass tofu from Lulu B's food cart. [Myspace here]. Sara and I had expressed our love of the Bahn Mi to each other in a mildly hilarious conversation that went sort of like this:

Sara: So, there's this sandwich...

Antonia (interrupting): A Vegetarian Bahn Mi Sandwich?!!

Sara: YES!

Antonia: Me too!

*various squeals and yelps*

Lulu B's offers up a Bahn Mi that, if it may be said was a little light on the pickling and basil, really comes through with the flavorful tofu. Sara sent me this recipe for lemongrass tofu soon after our conversation, and though I have not yet made it, the tofu is now purchased and is ready to go. 

Here you can see our full eating tableau, complete with various coffee drinks, and an abundance of napkins.

And here's a detail shot, with the tofu pieces visible on the far side of the sandwich.

Next up was the Kool Summer Sammich with Tofu Bacon from Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and Cafe. This beauty combines tomato, cucumber, carrots, sprouts, and red onion with chipotle-basil pesto and a mild-boggling tofu bacon. 

I do not understand how this bacon was created but I am determined to figure it out. I think it involves broiling, and a perfect spice-and-brown-sugar rub. You can see some of its blackened deliciousness peeking out from the near sandwich half.

Boston, MA: Red Curry Vegetables with Roasted "Duck"

My last day in Boston I had pretty much to myself, and though it was rainy, I did a fair bit of walking around the downtown area. I totally stumbled by accident into Chinatown, and remembered a vegan Thai restaurant in the little guidebook Sarah and Dan had. The name had changed from Buddha's Delight to My Thai vegan cafe, but the fake meat is still really really good. Service is pretty terrible, but I had time to kill so it was alright with me. 

I vascillated between a Green Curry with "Chicken" and a Red Curry with "Duck" and eventually went for the duck, because I have a mild obsession with Asian mock duck. Look how pretty it turned out:

And yeah, there's a giant "duck" roast under that pile. It was sort of cut into little riblet shapes, which made for nice portioning, and the vegetables were cooked very well. I also liked that it was served on a bed of mesclun greens, as I am a general fan of adding salad to things. 

Here you can see the "duck" looking awesome. I honestly don't understand how they managed to achieve the poultry-like texture in this fake meat. It actually had a grain to it! Plus the leftovers were so nice to have on the plane.

No-Work Bread with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins

Alright, we're finally back in business here. Two weekend vacations with only a two-day rest in between was harder on the old bod than I thought. When I got home for good I began a careful sleeping regimen that was hard to bounce back from. 

Anyways, I made this loaf of bread for my friends Dan and Sarah as a hosting gift, along with some Stumptown coffee. [Side note: Stumptown's online ordering is fast and awesome. Do it.] I neglected to take a picture of it once sliced so there's no big picture payoff, but I thought this bread was really good. It was made more impressive by the level of fretting and worrying over the addition of alcohol to a living yeast mixture, and the need to bring the loaf with me on a plane without somehow ruining it en route. 

No-Work Bread with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins:

1/2 cup yellow raisins

2 tbsp. dried black currants

1-2 tbsp. ginger nibs, or minced candied ginger

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Bourbon, to cover

No-Work bread dough, with one cup wheat flour substituted

4 tbsp. sugar, divided

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in food-processor

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Additional flour for coating work surfaces and such

2 tbsp. water

Begin by combining the first five ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator, where it will await your return. I gave my fruit about a 24-hour soaking time. You can go longer if you wish. I probably will next time. 

On the same night, prepare your bread dough as per instructions in the original recipe. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and cinnamon to the top of the dough once it has been placed in its final rising bowl.

As I was going to have to wait about 24 hours before I could remove the dough and give it its second rise, I decided to cover and store the dough in the refrigerator as well. I have found that around 14-16 hours is all the time the yeast needs to activate in the original Double Oven recipe, and didn't want the yeast to exhaust itself, especially because the bourbon-soaked fruit was to be mixed in later. 

Once it's time to move along to the second rise, drain and lightly rinse the fruit, in order to remove the surface alcohol and prevent rapid yeast death. 

Remove the dough from its rising bowl and turn it out on a well-floured work surface. Make a little space in the dough and pour the rinsed fruit in, working quickly to knead in the raisins so that they are well-distributed throughout the dough. 

Combine the whole what flour, 2 tbsp. sugar and rolled oats in the food processor and pulse into well-ground and mixed. This will be used for coating the dough and providing a nice resting place during the second rise.

Here you can see the loaf after it has been rising for about an hour and a half, which is the time that you should begin preheating your oven, with the cooking pot inside.

Follow the cooking directions in the original recipe for cooking times and temperatures, and here's what you will be able to enjoy upon removal: