The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Fig and Anise Bread

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

Fig and Anise Bread

What a lovely little bread from Breads From the La Brea Bakery this turned out to be! Silverton cautions that the crust will be dark because of the figs. I was glad I remembered that when I opened the oven because after 32 minutes, the loaves are really dark. Proof is in the taste though, no burned flavor at all, just the rich taste and aroma of soft Mission figs. Didn't have enough figs so after pureeing 3 ounces, I added raisins to bring added weight up to 12 ounces. With only 1/2 teaspoonful of anise seeds, I think it must be like adding a bit of espresso to chocolate or a little grating of nutmeg to Marinara sauce...can't really taste it but the sauce is richer. Didn't do a very good job at even distribution of the fruit but that just adds to its homey look and gives you an ooey-goey bite.

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

Here is the crumb shot of Barb's bread, it does look just as she described it.  What a great baker our big sister is, we are blessed!

Sure makes those miles between Texas and Washington seem longgggggg.... but with these pictures, you can almost smell it baking!

Diane

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

N. Silverton have some great bread recipes!!  This example is just another one of so many.  I was lucky to find a source of local figs on 2 trees while on my walking route.   They come ripe in September here.  Never made bread with them though, just cakes,  but do have a frozen quart of them left over from last year.  It will be bread next time!

Big Sis leads you youngsters to baking Nirvana!  Nice baking all around.

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

Just kidding, a source of fresh figs would be heavenly. Once in a while in late August I find them at Costco. Silverton says only use dried but not dried out figs for this bread, that fresh are too liquid. That didn't make sense to me until I considered what my favorite fruit cake would be if I used grapes instead of raisins. Needed a frame of reference, guess I'm just much more used to grapes and raisins than I am to fresh figs. sigh.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

are right. The ones in the freezer are cooked down chunks with some sugar to help preserve them - plus we love fig jam. We will have to dry them out some in the oven before using them in bread - don't want the bread to be Fig Cake - another favorite.

Sprout's just bought Sunflower Markets and we can get dried figs at both in lete August. 

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

for the news that Sprouts might have dried or fresh figs... will add them to my Central Market, Trader Joe's, must do places when I go to Ft. Worth.  ;-) 

Thaichef's picture
Thaichef

Good Morning :

   We have no fig in the market here in my little village in VA!!!! I live here for about ten years now and had not seen one.  Bummer!  I love,love fig.  I could purchase some at the Fresh market in Roanoke which cost an arm and a leg not to mention almost one hour drive each way. No fig bread for me. Sigh!

mantana

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

Figs are my husband's favorite fruit of all. We both grew up in California with fig trees within arm's reach. Since moving to our small town in Northeast Washington state,  I have seen figs one time in a local grocery store. This recipe happily though uses dried figs. I found 4 oz boxes of really soft Mission figs at Walmart. Don't remember the name but the box was blue and was with the raisins. You might want to check your library for "Breads from the La Brea Bakery".  Warning though, everyone who does ends up buying their own quickly enough to get it before their book is due back at the library!

Found this recipe for you http://bellabaitaview.blogspot.com/2011/05/anise-and-dried-fig-bread-and-small.html . The writer didn't notice that you just puree 3 oz of the figs and then chunk up the rest. Her bread is lighter and wouldn't have the "chewiness" of the figs and raisins but it looks like it would taste great. I supplemented with raisins because two boxes of the figs wasn't quite enough. I think the two tastes played well together and is a bread I'll make again.