Walnut Prune Bread

When I want to have a healthy treat for breakfast I go with this bread. It’s a heavenly combination. Pieces of prunes, walnuts and sliced almonds make this bread the perfect indulgence for a healthy start.

I wake up almost every day with a sugar craving. That’s why I came up with the idea of the sweet and succulent bite of the prunes in this divine nutty bread for breakfast. It is so yummy and rich that I usually have it just by itself. Sometimes I toast it and add some butter or whipped cream cheese to it, but it is just perfect as it is trust me.

This bread recipe is so versatile that you can add your favorite dried fruit or seeds to make it you own. I just happened to adore prunes and walnuts together. And the touch of the almonds, that makes my morning indulgence even better and healthier.

I fell in love with this bread not just because it’s delicious in every bite, it’s also very nutritious. The prunes are a great source of fiber, they also have a high antioxidant content. They can give you a satisfied feeling which can prevent you from overeating, as well as the walnuts and almonds. These are only few of many other health benefits. So I highly hope you enjoy this recipe.

Yeast mixture

½ tbsp active dry yeast

50 ml lukewarm water (100 degrees F)

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp all-purpose flour   

Dough

275 ml lukewarm water (100 degrees F)

2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups unbleached better for bread flour or all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 tbsp light brown sugar

5 tbsp coconut oil or canola oil

1 ½ cups walnuts, chopped

1 cup prunes, chopped

½ cup sliced almonds

Topping

1 egg  
1 tsp water

2 tsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp black sesame seeds

Makes 1 big loaf

Figure 1

Figure 2

Add the yeast to the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves, add the sugar and the flour and whisk together until smooth. Let it rest to develop for about 15 min.

Place the yeast mixture and the rest of the water in the bowl of your mixer. Add the whole wheat flour, 2 cups of the unbleached better for bread flour, salt and light brown sugar to the bowl. With the mixer running, fitted with the dough hook, add the coconut oil and let it work for about 10 to 15 min, adding more flour as needed to get a smooth dough. Just keep in mind that by adding the flour to the water you can  control the softness of the dough, so be cautious adding just the amount you need.

You can do this also by hand, mix everything in a bowl in the order that I explained before until you feel you can start kneading, and then knead the dough for about 15 min until smooth. Set the dough aside in a lightly oiled bowl to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in volume (about 2 hours). (Figure 1&2)

Figure 3

Once the dough has risen, punch it down (Figure 3), knead for a minute or so and stretch it out with your fingers or with a rolling pin. Spread the prunes, almonds and walnuts evenly and knead again for about 3 min. (Figure 4). When you get to see the prunes and nuts coming through the dough, you are ready. Shape the dough into one big loaf. (Figure 5). Arrange it in a big loaf pan (buttered and floured), cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for another two hours until doubled.

After two hours and the loaf has risen, remove the plastic wrap, paint the egg mixture over the bread, and sprinkle on the white and black sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the loaf for 40 to 45 min. 

Let it rest for 20 min. (Figure 6).
Enjoy!

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6