Valley Fig Growers
Trail Mix Bread with Figs
You can substitute all-purpose flour for the bread flour but the resulting loaf will be a little shorter and denser.
Makes one 9-inch loaf (8-10 slices)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm whole milk (110 degrees)
- 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1/4 cup light molasses
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups (9 2/3 to 12 2/3 ounces) bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted
- 1 cup (6 ounces) Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid dried figs, stemmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
Directions
- Whisk the milk, water, molasses, and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 1 3/4 cups of the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup of bread flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom. Add the pecans, sunflower seeds and figs and continue to knead until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Spray a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured counter. Gently press the dough into a 9-inch square, roll into a tight cylinder, and pinch the seam close.
- Place the loaf, seam-side down, in the prepared pan. Spay the loaf lightly with vegetable oil spray, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until the loaf has nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes. Meanwhile adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Brush the loaf with the remaining ½ tablespoon melted butter, then spray lightly with water. Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the center of the bread register 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. (If the crust begins to get too dark, tent loosely with aluminum foil.)
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before serving.
Valley Fig Growers is a proud sponsor of Cook's Country TV.
Nutrition Information
amount per serving
- Calories 403
- % Calories from Fat 31%
- Fat14
- Cholesterol13
- Protein 10
- Carbohydrates 61
- Fiber 7
- Iron4
- Sodium515
- Calcium100
- Potassium 470
