Fruit bread with figs, nuts and honey

Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes
Resting time: approx. 1 hour
Baking time: approx. 45–60 minutes

Ingredients

For a large batch of fruit bread

• 1 kg dried figs

• 500 g walnuts

• 1 kg almonds

• 500 g hazelnuts

• 300 g cocoa powder

• 400 g flour

• 700 g sugar

• 700 g honey

• 15–20 g cinnamon

• 5–8 g ground ginger

• 2–3 g ground cloves

• warm water as needed

Optional for more aroma

• zest of 1–2 organic oranges

• 50–100 ml rum

Preparation

1. Prepare figs

Cut the dried figs into small pieces.

Very hard figs can be briefly moistened beforehand with some warm water or rum.

2. Prepare nuts

Coarsely chop walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.

Do not grind the nuts too finely. The individual pieces should remain clearly visible in the finished fruit bread.

For a more intense aroma, you can briefly roast the nuts beforehand in the oven or in a dry pan.

Then let them cool completely.

3. Mix dry ingredients

Put figs and nuts into a very large bowl.

Add cocoa powder and flour.

Add cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves.

Mix everything thoroughly so that the cocoa and spices are evenly distributed.

4. Warm honey and sugar

Put honey and sugar into a pot.

Heat slowly over low to medium heat.

Stir regularly.

Only warm the mixture until the sugar has largely dissolved.

Do not let it caramelize.

5. Make fruit bread dough

Pour the warm honey-sugar mixture over the prepared figs and nuts.

Mix everything vigorously.

Gradually add a little warm water.

The dough should be very firm, sticky, and well moldable.

Add the water carefully. A dough that is too soft is difficult to shape and remains too moist after baking.

If you use rum, reduce the amount of water accordingly.

6. Shape fruit breads

Moisten your hands lightly with water.

Shape compact, elongated loaves from the dough.

Place the breads on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Let rest for about 30–60 minutes.

7. Bake fruit bread

Preheat the oven to 160–170 °C (top/bottom heat).

Bake the fruit breads for about 45–60 minutes, depending on size.

The fruit bread should develop a stable crust on the outside but remain moist inside.

Do not bake too long.

8. Cool and let mature

Let the fruit breads cool completely.

Then wrap well and let rest for at least 1–2 days.

After a few days, figs, honey, cocoa, and spices blend even better.

Kitchen tip

The fruit bread tastes especially good after 2–3 days of maturing.

For a finer version, add freshly grated orange zest and some rum to the dough.

A little lemon zest or a small amount of vanilla also goes well.

Slice the finished fruit bread as thinly as possible. This way, the figs and nuts come into their own particularly well.

Fruit bread with South Tyrolean cheese

A particularly good combination is:

Fruit bread
South Tyrolean mountain cheese · fig mustard · roasted walnuts

The sweetness of figs and honey harmonizes very well with a spicy, long-aged cheese.

Blue cheese or goat cheese also go well with it.

What goes well with fruit bread?

Pairs very well with:

• South Tyrolean mountain cheese

• aged hard cheese

• blue cheese

• goat cheese

• fig mustard

• butter

• cream cheese

• honey

• roasted walnuts

• orange marmalade

Storage

Wrap the completely cooled fruit bread tightly in parchment paper or cling film.

Then store in a cool, dry place.

Due to the high content of dried fruits, honey, and sugar, it stays moist for a long time.

FAQ

How long does fruit bread keep?

Well wrapped and stored cool, fruit bread keeps for several weeks.

Make sure it is completely cooled after baking before wrapping it.

Can I use less sugar?

Yes.

You can reduce the amount of sugar. However, this changes the sweetness, consistency, and shelf life of the fruit bread.

Do I have to roast the nuts?

No.

You can use walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts directly.

Lightly roasted nuts, however, taste more intense.

Why does my fruit bread crumble when cutting?

Usually, the dough contains too little liquid or the bread has not had enough time to mature.

Add a little more liquid during preparation and let the finished bread rest for at least one day.

How do I best cut fruit bread?

Use a very sharp bread or kitchen knife.

Cut the fruit bread only after it has completely cooled and preferably after 1–2 days of maturing into thin slices.

Can I freeze fruit bread?

Yes.

You can freeze fruit bread in portions.

Thaw slowly at room temperature before serving.

Can I use other dried fruits?

Yes.

Dates, dried apricots, plums, cranberries, or raisins also go very well.

Make sure to maintain the ratio between fruits, nuts, and binding ingredients.

Fruit bread is a moist, compact bread made from dried fruits, nuts, honey, and spices. This version contains figs, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The bread is especially suitable for the Advent season and is often served thinly sliced with butter or aged cheese.