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Fig Walnut Bread

American Side Dish Comfort Food Holiday
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Posted on: 2024-01-20
Updated on: 2024-02-03 15:04:02 by Mike

Mike
Image Of Fig Walnut Bread Ready To Eat.

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Description

I cherish the process of creating my special chopped fig and walnut mixture, a delightful concoction that's rich in both flavor and texture, but also so dense and nutritious. I love using this bread to fig walnut french toast. I begin with ripe figs and after a thorough wash, I chop them into small, bite-sized pieces. The inside of a fig is a luscious and tender medley of tiny seeds encased in a jam-like, sweet, and subtly floral flesh.

For the walnuts, while I don't crack them myself, a step I sometimes wish I could indulge in for that added freshness, I still select high-quality, pre-shelled walnuts. These are then roughly chopped, creating the perfect size to harmonize with the fig pieces, adding a wonderful crunch to the blend. I like to store my walnuts in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Brown sugar is my sweetener of choice, with its deep, molasses-like flavor that superbly complements the natural sweetness of the figs. I'm mindful of the quantity, adding just enough to enhance the flavors without dominating them. I don’t intend the bread to be sweet, but with the added little bit of brown sugar, there are added flavors for flavor stacking.

The spices I use are ground cinnamon and cloves. The cinnamon introduces a warm, comforting essence, a perfect match for the sweet figs and brown sugar. It's woody and mildly spicy, a staple in my kitchen for its inviting aroma. Cloves, with their strong, pungent warmth, are used more sparingly. Even in small amounts, they contribute depth and complexity to the mixture.

This blend of ingredients - the soft, sugary figs, the crunchy, nutty walnuts, the rich sweetness of brown sugar, and the aromatic, spicy warmth of cinnamon and cloves - creates a symphony of flavors. It's a blend that brings comfort and a touch of indulgence, something I am proud to make from scratch and enjoy in various dishes.

When sautéed, the ingredients meld beautifully, their flavors and textures intertwining as they gently ooze together, creating a harmonious and richly aromatic mixture. So I sauteed them for even more flavor stacking.

Start with dough that you have let rise.

start with bread dough
Start With Bread Dough by Mike Kearns

Fig Walnut Bread Ingredients

Step-By-Step Instructions

Image of Fig Walnut Bread ready to use/eat. Fig Walnut Bread

Prep Time: 80 minutes.

Cook Time: 45 minutes.

Total Time: 125 minutes.

Yield: 6 Servings

Nutrition Information: 320 Calories per two slices

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Dried Figs
  • 1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
  • 1 TBSP Brown Sugar
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1 TSP Cinnamon
  • 1 Clove
Instructions:
  • Step 1 - Gather your ingredients. You’ll need #1 - 1/2 Cup of Chopped Dried Figs, #2 - ¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts, #3 - 1 TBSP Brown Sugar, #4 - 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, #5 - 1 tsp Cinnamon, #6 - 1 Clove (crushed), #7 - Pre-made bread dough with one rise. I put the clove in a baggie and smash it with a rolling pin. I sometimes use a mortar and pestle to crush the clove. You definitely want to crush it so no one gets a mouthful of clove.
  • Step 2 - Cook ingredients. Get out a saute pan and heat it on medium to high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and wait 30 seconds, then add the figs, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed clove. Stir and mix ingredients. After a minute or two, turn the heat down to medium-low and saute for 15-20 minutes.
  • Step 3 - Rest cooked fig mixture. Remove the saute pan from the heat and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
  • Step 4 - Mix fig mixture with dough. Once the fig mixture has cooled, you may add it to the dough. I place the dough in a mixing bowl and dump the mixture over the top. I gently mix in the ingredients without overworking the dough.
  • Step 5 - Rest Dough for 30 minutes. In my photo, you can see some of the fig and walnut mixture on the outside of the dough. After cooking it like this, I would advise to tuck those fig and walnut bits into the dough so they are protected by it. If left on the outside, the fig and walnut bits can get overcooked and blackened which was a flavor I did not appreciate. Make sure to mix the fig mixture well inside the dough so there are no visible chunks on the dough. Place your mixed dough ball on a parchment paper round, with a kitchen towel over the top. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees, and place the dutch oven in the oven, with the lid, to heat up. Move your oven racks if you need to. The dutch oven should sit in the middle of the oven, front-to-back and top-to-bottom.
  • Step 6 - Begin cooking bread. Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Carefully, drop the parchment paper and dough loaf into the dutch oven. Put the lid on and return it to the oven for cooking at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. If you compare the image below with the previous step's image, you can see what 30 minutes of resting will do. A bit about safety. I also have dedicated kitchen towels for when I pick up a hot dutch oven and start moving it around. The rule with my towels is no water. I keep the towels separate from other family members who can get the towels wet. When your towels get damp, the heat can go through the towels, into your hands, and burn you quickly. Sometimes it's hard to feel when your towels get wet. I hate being burned. I even go so far as to lay the towels on the hot dutch oven when it's sitting on the stove top so I don't accidentally touch it. The towels remind me to watch out.
  • Step 7 - Remove the lid and continue cooking. After the fig and walnut bread has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes at 450 degrees. You can remove the dutch oven from the oven, remove the lid, then place it back in the oven. However, I like to reach in the oven, with my dry kitchen towel, and simply grab the lid, remove it, close the oven door, and call it good. I think it's faster and I lose less heat this way. Also, I leave the kitchen towel lying over the lid so know one grabs it, and if they do, they are protected.
  • Step 8 - Remove bread from the oven and rest it. You are almost there. Turn the oven off. Remove the lid from the dutch oven with your trusty, dry kitchen towel. Set the lid aside and leave a towel over the top. Grab the edges of the parchment paper on opposite sides while being careful not to touch the dutch oven, then lift the bread out of the dutch oven and onto a cooling rack.
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Fig Walnut Bread Drink Pairings

Alcoholic
  • Port Wine

    The sweet and fruity notes of a good port wine complement the sweetness of dried figs and the richness of walnuts, making it a classic pairing for a fig and walnut bread.

  • Sherry

    A medium-dry or sweet sherry, such as Amontillado or Cream Sherry, pairs nicely with the nutty and fruity flavors of the bread.

  • Whiskey or Bourbon

    A glass of whiskey or bourbon, especially those with caramel and vanilla notes, can be a delightful match for the bread's richness and the warmth of cinnamon and clove.

  • Red Zinfandel

    A bold and fruity red Zinfandel wine can complement the figs and add a fruity contrast to the bread.

Non-Alcoholic
  • Chai Tea

    A warm cup of chai tea, with its blend of spices like cinnamon and clove, can harmonize with the spices in the bread and provide a comforting pairing.

  • Apple Cider

    A glass of cold or warm apple cider can bring out the autumnal flavors of the bread, particularly when served during the fall season.

  • Hot Chocolate

    A rich and creamy hot chocolate can be a decadent choice to enjoy with your fig and walnut bread, especially on a chilly day.

  • Vanilla Almond Milk

    If you prefer a non-dairy option, vanilla almond milk can provide a slightly sweet and nutty accompaniment to the bread.