Description
A hearty quick bread made with a 50/50 blend of all purpose and whole wheat flours, studded with caramelized figs and crunchy walnuts. Best served with a thick slathering of Whipped Rosemary Honey Butter.
Ingredients
Units
CARAMELIZED FIG AND WALNUT BREAD
- 10-12 figs (- halved)
- 1/2 cup butter (+ 2 tablespoons - at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (+ 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (- at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (- at room temperature)
- 1 1/4 cups walnuts (- roughly chopped)
- 1-2 tablespoons sparkling or raw sugar
WHIPPED ROSEMARY HONEY BUTTER
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (- at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (- finely chopped)
- flake sea salt (- to taste)
Instructions
CARAMELIZED FIG AND WALNUT BREAD
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a loaf pan by coating the inside with a thin layer of melted butter and a dusting of granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and stir until the sugar has melted into the butter. Add the figs, cut side down, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the juices start to thicken and the figs begin to caramelize. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, combine remaining butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix together on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is incorporated into the butter and becomes light and fluffy. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times with a spatula.
- Whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and fold the rest of the ingredients in by hand. In 3 additions, alternate between the dry and wet ingredients - fold in the 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the wet ingredients and repeat, ending with the dry. Then fold in 3/4 cup of the walnuts.
- Transfer 1/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan, then place a layer of half of the caramelized figs into the batter. Top with another 1/3 of the batter and add the remaining figs. Top with the remaining batter and smooth out the top with an offset spatula.
- Top the batter with the rest of the chopped walnuts and a hearty sprinkle of sparkling or raw sugar for crunch.
- Bake on 350° for 30 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325°, rotate the pan again and bake for 20-30 additional minutes. The loaf should turn a deep golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when ready.
- Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes, then invert the loaf on to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Then slice and serve with a thick schmear of the Whipped Rosemary Honey Butter (recipe below).
WHIPPED ROSEMARY HONEY BUTTER
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached, combine butter, honey, salt and 2/3 of the chopped rosemary. Whip until light and fluffy. Transfer to a small bowl and top with remaining rosemary and sea salt flakes. Smear to taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: bread