Fig And Fennel Bread Recipes

FIG AND FENNEL BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/4 cups warm water, sugar, and yeast in small bowl. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes. Combine bread flour, 3/4 cup figs, rye flour, fennel seeds, and salt in large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix using lowest speed; gradually add yeast mixture, mixing until all flour has been incorporated (or to mix by hand, stir vigorously with wooden spoon until dough comes together). Replace paddle with dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic (or to knead by hand, transfer dough to floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes). Place dough in oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and knead gently until deflated. Knead in remaining 3/4 cup figs. Cut dough in half; shape each piece into 12-inch-long loaf. Brush rimmed baking sheet with oil; transfer loaves to sheet, spacing apart. Cover with plastic, then kitchen towel; let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake bread until crust is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 45 minutes. Cool bread on rack.

GRAMMA GOOD'S FENNEL BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the quart of warm water, salt, ginger, sugar, fennel, molasses, and melted butter. Mix in the yeast slurry and rye flour, breaking up any lumps of flour with a whisk. Stir in raisins. Work in the bread flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough becomes stiff.
• Then, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to make a stiff but workable dough. Knead for an additional 10 minutes to develop the gluten. Place dough into a greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and let it rise again until double.
• Remove dough from bowl, and divide into 4 equal pieces. press out air bubbles, and roll dough into loaves. Place the loaves into four 8x4 inch well greased loaf pans. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the loaves for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned, and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

WALNUT-FIG BREAD

Steps:

• Stir warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush a large bowl with oil and set aside.
• Place flours, 1 cup dried figs, fennel seeds, and salt in another bowl. Add yeast mixture; bring mixture together with your hands. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to oiled bowl, and cover loosely with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead in walnuts and remaining 1 cup dried figs (be aggressive with the dough to work in nuts and figs). Shape dough into a ball; pull seams in toward bottom to stretch and smooth top.
• Brush a baking sheet with oil; place dough in the middle. Loosely cover with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
• Bake until bread is light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Loosely tent with foil, and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the bottom of loaf registers 180 degrees and comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Immediately transfer loaf to a wire rack; let cool completely before slicing.