How to Make Fig And Walnut Sourdough Bread

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This Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread is rich, soft and sweet, thanks to the overnight soaking of the figs in the liquid component of the dough. A perfect recipe for Fall breakfasts.

Ingredients in the Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread

• Dried Figs – you will only need 100g of this delicious dried fruit. Soaked overnight, the figs get plump and juicy, and release their sweetness into the water (which will also be used in the dough).
• Mixed spice – the mixed spice harmonises perfectly with the figs and adds a lovely aroma and punchiness to the bread. Do not sub for cinnamon, as cinnamon, for some reason, impacts the gluten development and makes the bread flat and stodgy.
• Vanilla Essence – rounds out the sweet flavour and marries the figs and spice perfectly together.
• Water – Soak the figs, spice and essence in this water overnight to extract all the flavours, improve the texture of the figs, and to flavour the water. I have used whey, leftover from my strained yoghurt, and it makes the texture and rise of the bread phenomenal.
• Sourdough Starter – feed your starter the night before, as it needs to be active and bubbly for this recipe.
• Flour – I normally use bread flour, which has a higher protein content than regular cake flour. If you have run out of bread flour, no worries. I have, in desperation, used cake flour for bread (it being the only flour on hand) and to my delight it did not impact the dough. However, New Zealand cake flour has a protein content of 11%, which is only 1% less than bread flour.
• Salt – do not leave this out, I beg you. Bread without salt is the opposite of tasty.
• Handful of Walnuts – the walnuts must be added at the final shape. If you add them when initially mixing the dough, then they will ferment with the rest of the ingredients, which may not be very tasty.

Suggested Timeline for Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread

The Night Before

Feed your starter. Use the discard to make a delicious overnight-fermented cake, or this pancake recipe, which is the absolute best .

Place figs, vanilla essence, spice, and water in a large mixing bowl.  Cover with a tea towel, and let it strain overnight.  The figs will release a lovely sweetness into the liquid, which is why you will not need to add honey or sugar to this dough.

The Next Day

Add sourdough starter and salt to the fig-and-spice mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add flour and mix until a cohesive dough is formed.

Leave to rest for half an hour.

Stretch and Fold

For the next 2 hours, do 4 stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. This step adds volume and improves the texture of the dough. It stimulates gluten development, which strengthens the bread and gives it that elasticity.

Bulk Ferment

Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for a minimum of 6 hours.

Be careful not to over-prove at this stage, as it can really impact how the dough bakes).  If it is warm, leave for a maximum of 8 hours, just to be safe.

Shape

Once the dough has increased in volume by at least 50%, it’s time to shape! Tip the dough out onto the bench. 

With wet hands, stretch the dough out as far as it will go without tearing. Bring each corner to the centre of the dough. 

Flip it over cup your hands at the top of the dough and pull it across the bench towards you.  This should make the surface of the dough nice and taut.

Turn it back over and rest for 40 minutes on the bench.

Add the Walnuts

The walnuts are added during the second shaping.

Stretch the dough out and sprinkle the dough with the walnuts

Then, finish shaping as per the above method. This will be the final shape before putting into the fridge for the overnight ferment.

Overnight Ferment

Line your proving bowl with a tea towel, and dust with flour.  Transfer the shaped dough, with the taut surface facing down into the bowl.

Leave overnight in the fridge.

Bake

An hour before you want to start baking, preheat a casserole dish/Dutch oven in the oven at 250 degrees Celsius. 

After 45 minutes, carefully transfer dough to a sheet of baking paper.  Score the tight surface of the dough to any extent your artistry desires. Transfer to the (hot) casserole dish, putting the lid firmly on top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until you receive the colouration you desire.  Anything less than 45 minutes will probably be undercooked.

Baking Tips for Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread:

• There is no need to soak the figs overnight, although I do find that the texture of the figs in the baked dough is much better if you do.
• Don’t add the walnuts until the shaping stage. If you add them before, they will go through the entire fermentation process and get all soggy and weird tasting.
• When baking, I leave the lid on for the full 45 minutes baking time. The reason I do this is to ensure the dough is cooked throughout.  I find it still gets good colour with the lid on the whole cooking time.
• If you desire, you could take the lid off after 30 minutes and bake with the lid off a further 15-20 minutes, to give the bread a deeper colour and a crisper crust.  You do you!
• Try to resist cutting into the loaf straight away. It’s easier to cut the dough after waiting for a few hours. If you do, you will get more slices out of your loaf, and the air pockets will be more pronounced. 

Serving Suggestions for Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread

• Butter, Honey and Cinnamon
• Ricotta, Caramelised Peaches and Honey
• Coconut Butter and Caramelised Apricots
• Chocolate Spread and Sliced fresh Strawberries
• Cream Cheese and Jam
• Labneh (strain this yoghurt recipe), Blueberries, and Honey.
• Make it into this baked French Toast, and serve with cream and maple syrup. Heavenly!