Apricot toasting loaf

Makes 1 fat loaf

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup shelled pistachios
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup whole flax seeds
1/3 cup psyllium husks
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Optional: Start by toasting the pistachios, sunflower seeds, and pepitas for about 10 minutes at 180°C, until fragrant.

Combine all the dry ingredients and the spices in a bowl. Pour over the water, maple syrup, and olive oil. Stir everything into a wet, sticky mash — keep mixing until all the liquid has been absorbed and no longer pools on the bottom of the bowl.

Oil a loaf pan. Scrape the mixture into the pan, press it firmly in, and smooth the top. It will fill the entire pan and be slightly mounded on top. Poke any visible apricots below the surface (as they toast more quickly than the rest of the ingredients in the oven). Cover and rest for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the loaf for 1 1/2 hours — check the bread every 10 minutes in the last half hour and tent with foil when the top is deep golden and looks to be on the verge of (but not yet!) burning. When done, the bread will be dark golden brown on top, pull away from the sides of the pan. This is a dense loaf — it takes a while to bake all the way through.
When done, transfer the bread from the pan to a cooling rack and cool for at least 2 hours, until no longer warm at all. If you cut the loaf before it's fully cooled, you may find that it's gummy in the middle.