Fig, Cranberry & Walnut Bread

The recipe, step by step

This fig, cranberry and walnut bread is packed with fruits and walnuts. Delicious slathered in butter made into a sandwich or served with cheese. With very little kneading and no special equipment, this recipe is perfect for newbies.

I don’t make breads with fruits very often, but this one is great for the days after Christmas when there is left over turkey for making sandwiches. It goes great with cold meats and cheeses and I often just end up eating it on its own with a little butter.

INGREDIENTS

For this recipe all you need are these ingredients:

• Yeast – ferments the natural sugars in the flour and releases carbon dioxide, but because the dough is elastic and stretchable the carbon dioxide cannot escape, causing the dough to rise. This is a simple bread recipe but because of the additional fruits and nuts, it requires a little more yeast than usual to help it rise.

• White bread flour – is made from hard, high-protein varieties of wheat, which have a higher gluten content than other flours. Gluten is the substance that makes the dough more elastic and stretchable, giving the final baked bread its fluffiness and lightness.

• Wholemeal flour – is generally made from a variety of grains but in some circumstances can be 100% wheat in the UK. It is an unrefined flour, made from grinding the whole grain. Wholemeal can also contain a variety of grains e.g. rye, spelt, corn, barley or buckwheat. Both wholemeal and whole wheat flour will work in this recipe, adding more flavour to the bread.

• Olive oil – enhances the texture, flavour, and moisture of bread. Also, free fatty acids in the oil make the dough softer and easier to handle.

• Dried figs and cranberries – add sweetness and texture to this bread.

• Walnuts – add texture and a nutty flavour.

• Salt – I highly recommend adding salt to your doughs. Salt helps balance out the flavours and elevates the other ingredients, bring out the best characteristics of any bread.
  I recommend Maldon Sea salt flakes or Cornish sea salt, but any good quality salt is fine.

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

• Alternative nuts – this recipe works well with different types of nuts. Try flaked almonds or pecans in the same weight as per the recipe instructions.

• Alternative fruits – I love the combination of the figs and cranberries, but if you prefer to omit or replace either of the dried fruits with an alternative then that’s fine. Try raisins, apricots or prunes using the same weight as described in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: one slice of bread

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

Like all bread, it’s best eaten on the day, but this bread recipe also tastes good the following day and it toasts really well. If your bread does go a bit stale, you can always use it to make homemade French toast or bread and butter pudding.

Freezing: If you don’t eat too much bread but like to have some at hand, I like to slice the loaf before placing it in the freezer. Then whenever I want some it’s easy to take out as many slices as I want and they defrost fairly quickly. Sometimes if I am in a hurry in the mornings, I toast a slice or two for breakfast.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Here is some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.

• Earthenware Mixing Bowl Mason Cash, Cream 29 cm Chip Resistant.

I like the sturdiness of this bowl and its 4-litre capacity means I can use it for mixing just about everything in the kitchen. It is also microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.

• Mixing Bowls Set of 5, Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls with Airtight Lids, 3 Grater Attachments, Size 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 0.63 QT

These different size mixing bowls are really useful depending on the amount of food you are preparing. They also have airtight lids that fit snugly to seal and keep food fresh, great for using as dry storage bowls with lids. The plastic lid of the largest bowl has a removable centre, where one of 3 graters can be used for grating cheese or vegetables.

• Silicone Baking Mat, Standard, 2 Count, 42 x 29.5 cm

I love using these baking mats. They stop everything from sticking to the baking tray and are really easy to clean.

• KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer Die-cast Metal, 300 W, 4.8 ltrs
  

Not everyone is lucky enough to have one of these but they are useful if you do a lot of baking or making bread.

RECIPE TIPS

• Use room temperature ingredients for best results.

• Yeast requires warmth to become active and the trick is to get it started using warm water at body temperature 37°C (98°F). Make sure that it is not hotter than this as it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably put your finger in it and hold it there. If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. If you are using rapid-rise yeast, it does need to be dissolved in water and can be added directly to the other ingredients. This type of yeast will also take half of the time to make bread rise so you can easily skip the fist proving in this recipe.

• Kneading bread – is surprisingly important in creating a good loaf of bread. Flour your worktop, then push, pull and stretch the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. There is usually a tendency to add more flour as the dough can be sticky, but avoid this as it may result in a dry dense bread. The dough will become less sticky the more it is worked. The protein in the flour will absorb the water creating the gluten strands, resulting in a nice smooth elastic dough.

• Proofing – allows the yeast to work, helping the dough rise. Always place the dough to rest in a warm, humid environment until it doubles in size. Make sure to cover the dough with a damp, clean cloth. If you’re having trouble getting the dough to rise, place it in your oven with it turned off and the light inside on. This little heat from the the light should be sufficient to help it proof.

• Baking – bread is ready when the internal temperature reaches about 85-95°C (185-200°F). However, most people don’t own a thermometer for testing this. Instead, do the traditional method of tapping the bottom of your bread loaf. If it sounds hollow, it’s ready to come out of the oven.

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