Fig, Pecan and Hazelnut Bread

Fig, Pecan and Hazelnut Bread

The dry ingredients you will need

Dried figs

Butter, milk and brown sugar mix

Hazelnuts and Pecans

Dried figs are chopped and soaked in water then drained

The pecans and hazelnuts are chopped and toasted

All ingredients are mixed and kneaded ready for the first rise

The bread dough has risen and is shaped into loaves and will rise once more

Fig, Pecan and Hazelnut Bread, smells amazing

All this needs is some butter and a drizzle of honey

Fig, Pecan & Hazelnut Bread recipe

½ cup (120 ml) dried figs

hot water, for rehydrating figs

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter

1 2/3 cups (400 ml) milk

2 tbsp (30 ml) light brown sugar

2 3/4 tsp. yeast (I use bread machine)

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole wheat flour

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

1 cup (240 ml) pecans or walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1 cup (240 ml) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Place figs in a bowl with hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes to plump and soften.

Drain figs and chop.

Put butter in a bot and heat just to melt.

Take off heat. Allow to cool a bit.

Pour in milk. Add sugar. Add yeast and stir to dissolve.

To a separate bowl, add both kinds of flours and salt. Add nuts and figs and mix together well.

Pour wet ingredients slowly into dry and stir to combine.

Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes

This can be done in a stand mixer as well

Form dough into a ball and let sit in a lightly greased bowl.

Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in size.Punch dough to release air pockets.

Cut dough and pull dough apart and form into loaves (your choice of one, two or three).

Place loaves onto a greased baking sheet.

Rub tops with olive oil.

Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F (190C)

Bake for 20 - 40 minutes in the oven.

Enjoy a slice with some butter and honey.

'Remember a future from another dream.....and hold on'.
Claudia Rankine

Beet Leaf Holubtsi......

The smell of baking bread is so comforting, like a warm hug from Mom. I love to bake the bread my Mother and Grandmother always baked. Today I am using some of the dough to make something called 'Beet Leaf Holubtsi' that my friend Wendy shared with me or as my friends Beth and Lindsay called them ' Beetniks'. I love when friends and family share their memories and their recipes with me as it takes me to another place, another country and my family and friends get to enjoy something new. So thank you to all my family and friends for sharing their memories with me.
I received some beautiful organic beets in my weekly box of organic vegetable delivery and the beets came with beautiful beet tops, perfect for trying out this new recipe. The recipe below is posted as sent to me by my friend Wendy with a few adaptations on my part.

Beet Leaf Holubtsi or Beetniks

Bread dough

Blanched beet leaf topped with a small roll of bread dough ready to be rolled up.

 The dough is wrapped inside the beet leaves

Wrapped and ready for the onion and cream sauce.

 

Ingredients for the sauce.

Sauteing the onions in a bit of butter, the cream will be added to this in a few minutes.

 Beet Leaf Holubtsi, wrapped, drizzled with butter, covered in a cream and onion sauce and sprinkled with fresh dill. They are ready for the oven.

 Beet Leaf Holubtsi baked and ready for sampling.

Mmmmmm.....smells amazing....great as a snack, an appetizer or just eaten with a bowl of soup or borscht.

BEET LEAF HOLUBTSI RECIPE

Bread dough for one small loaf of bread

6-10 beet leaves, blanched and dried

1 small onion, diced fine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/8 - 1/4 cup butter melted

*See note below if storing in the freezer

Let bread dough rise to double in bulk. 
Put a bit in a wilted beet leaf. Roll as for cabbage rolls.
Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with melted butter.

Making sure the tops of the beets are brushed well with the butter.

Sprinkle with fresh dill (optional)
Let Rise - the dough will stick out of each end of roll.
Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 5 min. Then turn oven down to 375 degrees for about 15 or 20 min. Watch closely so they don’t burn.

*At this point you can cool and put in bags in freezer if you want.
When ready to use, melt butter in a frying pan (electric frying pan with lid works well) put beet top rolls in pan. Turn to high for just a minute, then turn over and turn the heat off - put lid on pan tightly so that they stay nice and soft... otherwise they will burn. You have to watch them closely, at first.

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'Keep what is worth keeping and with the breath of Kindness, blow the rest away.'

Dinah M. Craik