Pear and Chestnut Bread

Place the dried pears in a bowl with 250 ml (approximately 1 cup) of water, cover and soak 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250°C (approximately 480°F). Cut an x in the rounded side of the chestnuts and roast until the shells pop open, about 30 minutes. Remove, let cool, peel and finely chop.

In a small saucepan, bring the soaked pears and their soaking liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer until the pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain reserving the cooking liquid. Finely chop the pears, transfer to a bowl and add the chopped chestnuts.

Crumble the yeast into the milk and mix with the two types of flour and about half of the cooking liquid, the spices, honey and lemon zest, and knead to a smooth dough. (Add more liquid if the dough is dry, more flour if it's too wet.) Cover and let rise in a warm place, such as a 50°C (approximately 125°F) for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (approximately 350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the dough on a floured work surface and knead in the pear and chestnut mixture. Divide the dough in half and shape the dough into two loaves. Brush with a little of the cooking liquid and place on the baking sheet. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 1 hour.