Dorie Greenspan's Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Ingredients

• For the topping:
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• For the bread:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup diced dried figs, apples, or apricots or moist, plump raisins, dark or golden
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

Directions

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, flour it, and knock out any extra. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
2. For the topping, combine the sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl, rubbing and tossing them with your fingers until the mixture is evenly blended. Put it aside.
3. For the bread, whisk the eggs, applesauce, oil, and buttermilk together until smooth and combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Scoop out 1/2 teaspoon of that dry mixture and use it to coat the fruit, then set the fruit aside. Add the oats to the large bowl and stir them in.
4. Pour the wet mixture onto the dry ingredients. With a large rubber spatula, fold and stir only until the dry ingredients are evenly dampened. This is not the moment for enthusiastic mixing. Add the dried fruit and stir just until it is distributed.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping over it, then press it down gently with your fingers so it adheres.
6. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the loaf is browned and a thin knife pushed into the center comes out clean. Move the bread to a rack and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan, turn the loaf out, flip it right side up, and let it cool to room temperature.