Date-plum-walnut bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 470 g whole wheat flour
• 1 cube of fresh yeast (42 g)
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 55 g butter, melted
• 250 ml water, lukewarm
• 120 g dates
• 160 g plum(s), dried
• 80 g walnuts, halved
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 55 minutes

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the wholemeal flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Put the yeast in a small bowl, add a pinch of sugar, and mix with a little of the lukewarm water. Put it in the center of the flour and stir it in with your finger. Add the salt and melt the butter briefly in the microwave. Then add the butter to the bowl with the remaining water and knead everything into a smooth dough. Depending on the type of flour you have, you may need a little more water. For me, the instructions are perfect. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Then return it to the lightly floured bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until it has significantly doubled in size; this can take up to an hour, depending on the temperature. In the meantime, chop the dates and prunes. Tip: Don’t make them too small; I halve and quarter the prunes, for example. I’m using dried plums here, but they’re very soft. You can leave the walnut halves as they are, or halve and quarter them again, which is what I like to do. Once the dough is ready, knead the fruit and walnuts into the dough and shape it as desired (I like to make it into an oblong loaf). Then place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, cover, and let it rise for about 1 hour until it has significantly increased in volume. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). Add the bread and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until it’s a nice brown color. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. This bread tastes particularly delicious with a strong cheese, or with Brie or Camembert.