Maple Raisin Fig Bread Recipes

FIG AND RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar to activate yeast. Add bread flour; sprinkle salt on top. Pour in raisins and figs; mix well.
• Knead dough for about 10 minutes. Place in a large glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 3 to 4 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pick up the side of the dough that's farthest from you and fold it inward, about 3/4 of the way across. Fold the last quarter of the dough all the way back over the far side, creating batard, or torpedo, shape. Press down on the seam with the side of your palm to seal it.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Sprinkle some cornmeal over the dough and cover loosely; let proof for 45 minutes. Sprinkle more cornmeal onto a baking sheet; flip dough onto the sheet so the seam side faces up. Use a scoring tool or serrated knife to cut a few slashes into the top of the dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 20 minutes. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes, as it will continue to cook when it comes out of the oven.

MAPLE WALNUT AND FIG BREAD

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the diced figs in a medium bowl and add the warm water. Let soak until softened.
• Whisk the unbleached flour, cake flour, oats, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Put the maple syrup, milk, eggs, egg yolks, and canola oil in a medium bowl and stir with the whisk to combine. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon just until all the flour is moistened. This should be a wet batter, because the oats absorb a lot of the liquid during baking.
• Fold the walnuts and figs into the batter (the figs do not need to be drained). Divide the batter evenly between two oiled 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the pans from left to right and front to back about halfway through the baking time.)
• Remove the pans from the oven and use a pastry brush to glaze the tops of the loaves with maple syrup. Set them on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn the loaves out of the pans and set them on the rack to cool completely before serving. Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. They may also be frozen, wrapped first in aluminum foil and then in plastic wrap or a heavy-duty freezer bag.