Homemade Bread with Prunes, Pecans and Cardamom
Sorry, sourdough. This Homemade Bread, with prunes, Pecans and Cardamom is where it’s at. Subtly sweet, this lovely loaf works equally well for breakfast or dessert. Don’t let the resting time scare you off. We promise it’s well worth the wait. You can smear a thick slab of this prune bread with butter of course, but we suggest using a slice or two for ricotta toast too.
It’s better than sourdough. There, we said it.
We know, every burgeoning baker cut their teeth on sourdough boules during the pandemic. We love a loaf of sourdough, too -but this lovely loaf has our heart. The soft texture of this bread, combined with the subtle sweetness of the prunes, nutty pecans and cardamom is an irresistible combination.
There’s no fancy equipment required to make this homemade bread recipe
No stand mixer or bread maker? No problem. This prune bread dough is mixed by hand!
How to make homemade Prune Bread
This recipe is easy enough for a beginning baker! Don’t believe us? Here’s how to make it:
In a large bowl, whisk the yeast together with 2 tablespoons of sugar and water.
Mix the remaining sugar with the diced prunes, pecans, salt, lemon zest and cardamom.
Fold the flour into the yeasted water.
Once combined, fold in the prune, pecan, and cardamom mixture.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours, until the dough has doubled in size and is dotted with air bubbles.
Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and gently spread from the edges to form a disc.
Lift from four corners, one at a time, folding the dough into itself to form a roughly shaped ball. Lightly dust with a little more flour, then repeat to pull the boule into a tighter ball.
Cover with a towel and let rest for another hour.
How to bake your homemade bread
The key to a truly delicious loaf of homemade bread? A perfectly baked crust! Here’s how James achieves the perfect crust:
Preheat a Dutch oven at 450F (230C) for 30 minutes.
Place the boule in the Dutch oven, and cook covered for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing!
So you’ve made our Homemade Prune Bread…here’s how to use it!
Ricotta Toast with Prosciutto and Prunes
This luscious Ricotta Toast from our friends at Bakes by Brown Sugar is an indulgent meal – but ready in mere minutes.
Prune, Nut Butter and Honey Sandwich
This old-fashioned recipe is a fun take on the traditional PB&J – and the perfect breakfast or lunch.
California Prune Bread with Pecans and Cardamom
Ingredients
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 TBSP sugar divided
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 TBSP ground cardamom
- 1 cup pitted California prunes roughly chopped
- 1 cup pecans roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into 1 ½ cups (275ml) of lukewarm water.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, cardamom, prunes, pecans, and lemon zest, and gently mix, breaking up any clusters of prunes so that they’re coated—this will help ensure they’re spread evenly throughout the loaf.
- Using a flexible spatula or bench scraper, fold the flour into the yeasted water, mixing thoroughly and breaking up any clumps. Once combined, fold in the prune, pecan, and cardamom mixture, until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours, until the dough has doubled in size and is dotted with air bubbles. Scrape the dough onto a floured counter or smooth surface, dust with flour all around, and gently spread from the edges to form a disc. Then, lift from four corners, one at a time, folding the dough into itself to form a roughly shaped ball. Lightly dust with a little more flour, then use your hands to pull the boule into a tighter ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for another hour.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 450 degrees (230C), then warm a medium sized Dutch inside for 30 minutes. Bake the bread, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the top is a dark golden brown—the loaf will feel a little dense but should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Baking with Prunes
You probably know that prunes are great for gut health. But did you know that they can add moisture and depth of flavor to your favorite baked goods? And that’s not all…with the addition of prune purée, bakers can reduce refined sugar by up to one-third, as well as reducing the amount of needed eggs and fats. Whether you are trying to reduce refined sugar, cut unhealthy fats, or simply make healthier baked goods, California Prunes and Prune Purée are ingredients more and more bakers are relying on to enhance their cakes, cookies, muffins, and more.
What are you waiting for? Let’s start baking with California Prunes!
Old Fashioned Morning Muffins
Prune grower Ranvir Singh has fond memories of his grandmother’s top secret prune + bran muffins. These Old Fashioned Morning Muffins are our take on the Singh family’s recipe.
Sourdough Bread with Prunes
There’s something so special about a fresh-baked loaf of bread. That crust, the sourness you get from fermentation. Chef Mikel Anthony adds the rich, deep flavor and unique natural sweetness of California Prunes for the perfect touch to this homemade sourdough bread.
Did you try this recipe? Maybe you’ve got a favorite recipe using California Prunes that you’d like to share with us? Snap a pic and share it on social using #caprunes.
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