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You are here: Home / Side / Fig and walnut bread

Fig and walnut bread

November 1, 2017 by Caroline's Cooking 12 Comments

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This fig and walnut bread is a tasty white loaf with a twist. It’s easy to make and the fruity and nutty bites make it into a slightly special everyday bread.

fig and walnut breadI often think I don’t make bread anything like as much as I should. We tend to go up and down in how much we use and we’re not quite such big bread eaters that we will get through a loaf in one day, so I kind of have to know we will eat it a couple days in a row. Plus, there’s the planning part of it – you have to think about it a little bit with resting time which is not always my strong point. Added to that, while our house isn’t big, it is a bit old and drafty and rising can be tricky.

Now, though, I have adopted a bit of a cheat to get my dough to rise: I use the oven. Not on properly, but I tend to put the oven on either on the broiler, or on low a short while, or else make bread a little after using the oven for something else then use the slightly warm oven as my rising home. It works wonders – a good rise and usually quicker too.

fig and walnut breadFiggy memories

I have distinct memories of the smell of fresh figs hanging from trees in France when I was a teenager. We went to visit my sister who was living there at the time and went to Carcassonne, a medieval walled town in the South. As we were walking around, fig trees hung over the path and the smell was so good. Even better was getting to try some in the market. I now get figs when I can to snack on and add to recipes like my roasted pear and fig scones or prosciutto, goats cheese and balsamic fig croissant.

This fig and walnut bread is a tasty white loaf with a twist. It's easy to make and the fruity and nutty bites make it into a slightly special everyday bread.Sadly, while figs can apparently be harvested up to four times a year, the season is still limited and they don’t keep all that long. But while they taste a little different, dried figs are still a great ingredient to work with. They’re a key part of a good old British Christmas pudding, and other dishes, and they work so well in this bread.

making fig and walnut breadHow it’s made

This isn’t exactly a no-knead bread as such, but it definitely doesn’t need a lot of kneading and comes together very easily. Then, leave it to rise and double in size before knocking it back and forming it into a loaf. Give it another short rise before baking in a hot oven until golden brown.

This fig and walnut bread is a tasty twist on a simple loaf, but those small additions really make this bread that bit special, while still being perfect for everyday. Use it in sandwiches, dip it in oil and vinegar, or eat it as a snack as we did. Whichever way, enjoy.

This fig and walnut bread is a tasty white loaf with a twist. It's easy to make and the fruity and nutty bites make it into a slightly special everyday bread.

5 from 1 vote
fig and walnut bread
Print
Fig and walnut bread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

A simple but delicious twist on a simple white loaf.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 approx (or more, depending on portion size)
Calories: 185 kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all purpose flour 140g plain flour
  • 1 cup bread flour 140g
  • 1 tsp instant yeast fast acting yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 cup water lukewarm, 180ml
  • 1/2 cup dried figs 80g, chopped
  • 1/4 cup walnuts 35g, chopped
Instructions
  1. Mix together the flours, yeast and salt. Add the oil, honey and warm water and mix so that is comes together. Add the figs and walnuts and mix through so that they are well distributed - at this point you will probably need to turn it out on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead it. 

  2. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes to stretch the dough a little and avoid it being too sticky. It won't need as much as some breads, but a little will help. Lightly oil a large bowl then put the dough inside, cover and transfer to a warm, draft-free spot. It shouldn't be hot, but an oven that has almost cooled will be great and will reduce the rising time. Leave to roughly double in size, around 1-2 hours depending on how warm it is.

  3. Once it has risen, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back (press into the dough with your fingers a few times to get out the excess bubbles). 

  4. Dust a baking sheet with a little cornmeal (or flour, if you don't have). Form the dough into a loaf - I'd suggest an oval - and place on top. Leave to rise a little more for approx 30 minutes. As you need to for your oven, preheat it during this time to 450F/230C.

  5. As you put the loaf into the oven, spray the sides of the oven with some water to help create steam (this helps to make the loaf crustier on the outside, although it didn't really work for me I admit!). Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when you turn it over and tap the bottom.

Nutrition Facts
Fig and walnut bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 185 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Sodium 293mg 12%
Potassium 116mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 6g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin C 0.1%
Calcium 2.3%
Iron 6.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Try these other tasty bread ideas:

Tsoureki - Greek Easter bread

Tsoureki (Greek Easter bread)

Twisted bread with peppers, spinach and parmesan

Twisted bread with peppers, spinach and parmesan

Panettone

Panettone

See the other fig recipes for today’s Foodie Extravaganza:

  • Fig/Anjeer Milk Shake by Sneha’s Recipe
  • Fig and Blue Cheese Tarts by Food Lust People Love
  • Fig and Walnut Bread by Caroline’s Cooking
  • Sourdough Barley Bread with Figs and Pecans by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Steamed Figgy Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Warm Potato Salad with Tea-Steeped Figs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Remember to pin for later!

This fig and walnut bread is a tasty white loaf with a twist. It's easy to make and the fruity and nutty bites make it into a slightly special everyday bread. #bread #homemadebread

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Filed Under: Side, Snack Tagged With: bread, fig, walnut, yeast

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Comments

  1. Wendy Klik says

    November 1, 2017 at 7:11 am

    Oh Caroline, I am drooling over this gorgeous loaf.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 7, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks Wendy!

      Reply
  2. Camilla @ Culinary Adventures says

    November 1, 2017 at 7:43 am

    What a delicious looking loaf! Thanks for joining me this month for the fig theme, Caroline.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 7, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks Camilla, I love figs so couldn’t miss it!

      Reply
  3. Karen says

    November 1, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Your bread looks amazing. What a fluffy crumb!
    I sometimes use the inside of my dishwasher after it has run to help bread rise, or the inside of the microwave with a couple of cups of boiled water! Love your warmed oven idea.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 7, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks Karen, I can see those ideas working well too!

      Reply
  4. Beverly says

    November 4, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    My house is drafty too, and can get a bit too cool for the bread to raise. I don’t use the oven though. I use a cooler chest or an old Styrofoam chest, with a cup of boiling water beside the loaf. The steam from the water keeps the chest warm and moist enough for the bread to rise successfully. My oven is free to use for something else if necessary.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 7, 2017 at 10:40 pm

      Thanks for sharing those ideas, Beverly – yes if you need the oven for something else, clearly it’s not the best place, but otherwise it works well.

      Reply
  5. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    November 4, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    Caroline – this bread looks phenomenal. I just bought some fresh figs for another project, but next time I’m at the store, I’m definitely going to buy some dried for this bread. It’s beautiful.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 7, 2017 at 10:40 pm

      Thanks Lisa, I love fresh figs too, but dried work well in this bread. Hope you give it a go!

      Reply
  6. sneha datar says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:36 am

    Beautiful fig bread.. looks awesome.

    Reply
    • Caroline's Cooking says

      November 12, 2017 at 11:59 am

      Thank you!

      Reply

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Caroline's Cooking

Welcome! I'm Caroline and this is where I share recipes inspired by travels, places I want to go, or just ideas from feeding the family. Most recipes are easy to make and healthier, but there are treats too! Read More…

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