Date, Prune and Pecan Bread
John Woods, the Executive Chef at the Cliveden hotel, asked me to make a bread to complement his new cheeseboard, so after various experiments I came up with this one. Its sweet, slightly nutty flavour is delicious with Stilton and the stronger French cheeses – try it as a starter topped with baked Camembert and cranberries.
Ingredients
- 15 g yeast
- 500 g wholemeal flour plus extra for dusting
- 10 g salt
- 50 g butter softened
- water to mix
- 125 g pecans chopped
- 150 g dates chopped
- 40 g soft ready-to-eat dried prunes, chopped
Instructions
- Dilute the yeast in a little warm water, then put with the flour, salt and butter into a bowl and mix well.
- Slowly add enough water, mixing all the time, until the dough becomes elastic.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 2 hours.
- Divide the dough into two pieces and incorporate half the pecans, dates and prunes into each piece, pressing in firmly.
- Knead for a further 5 minutes, then rest the loaves for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Grease two 450 g/1 lb loaf tins.
- Flatten each loaf and roll into a sausage shape.
- Place the seam underneath, then taper each end.
- Put each loaf into a tin, seam-side down, dust with flour and, using a knife, cut a zigzag pattern on the top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
