I like to add coarsely chopped dried fruit to my loaves, like cherries or figs or raisins. But I'm wondering whether the dried fruit needs to be soaked before adding it to the dough.
I've had good results with pre-soaking figs (resulting in plump sweet bits of fruit and no problems with the dough) and bad results with soaking cherries (the added moisture made the dough almost unworkable and I had to add more flour to compensate). I have also had very good results with raisins and dried cranberries, with no soaking in either case.
So I'm wondering if there are any general guides for soaking or not soaking dried fruit, or if it depends upon the particular type of fruit being used or the kind of bread being made. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this! SETH
I have advocated and always follow this method for hydrating dried fruit.
Mist the fruit lightly with juice or water depending on the flavor profile of the final baked item. Cover the misted fruit and microwave for 30 seconds or so depending on how much fruit you are using. It should be warm . Leave covered as you prepare the rest of your dough.After 30 min-1 hr The fruit should be plump with little to no moisture on the plate. Ready to fold easily into any dough and no mess or additional hydration added. Also no flavor loss as soaking always takes away flavor. I also add a cinnamon/ sugar dusting to raisins after misting. Excellent flavor pops and no problem then with the cinnamon affecting your dough adversely.
That's a very interesting idea, thanks for sharing! As I found and as you noted, soaking the fruit does affect the hydration, so this could be a good way to revive the fruit without losing any flavor and/or messing up the bread. Conversely, I was also concerned that not soaking the fruit and simply adding it dry would possibly pull moisture from the dough and screw things up that way.
Fortunately, everything still tasted pretty good anyway, but it's still nice to have some guidance and ideas about doing things properly. SETH
Moist perfect fruit without affecting bread hydration. I’ve done it for years. Always perfect. Happy New Year of baking. 🙏
My Irish grandmother always made 6 raisin breads as part of the dozen loaves she made every Saturday. She would put the raisins in a bowl , put a bit of faucet hot water over for a minute or so , drain and dry on a towel. Then she would sprinkle a bit of flour over them, and mix into the dough . She said that the flour " Helps to keep the rains about the loaf instead of sinking to the bottom. " I do the same with raisins , dried cherries and cranberries and it really does work.
I've made quick breads that way (flouring the fruit). It is helpful in keeping the fruit (especially fresh blueberries) from sinking because the batter is so much more liquid.
I never thought about using the same flour trick with breads, because I assumed the fruit was more likely to stay put in a thicker yeasted bread dough --- and as far as I can see, it usually does. But it's a good suggestion and it certainly wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Thanks for the thought! SETH
Whatever you do is fine. As long as it's consistent you'll be good. Enjoy!