Whole Wheat Sourdough Fig and Walnut Bread

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Baking up a simple, rustic, but totally delicious Whole Wheat Sourdough Fig and Walnut Bread for this chilly January weekend! Made from only 6 ingredients, this bread needs to be on your baking bucket list. Dried figs and walnuts, chopped and baked into a wonderfully soft and savory sourdough bread, with a bit of crunch from the crust. Every bite will have your tastebuds singing! You’d never know that this bread is actually good for you. Serve with a generous smear of butter (or plant-based butter!) and a light drizzle of honey for the ultimate morning toast. It’s SO good and actually so much easier to make than you might think. Perfect for January baking, summer time, during the holiday’s, and just any day in-between that you crave a delicious chunk of sourdough bread!

→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Fig and Walnut Bread

About The Recipe

We’re officially through the first week of January! Have you kept your resolutions so far? We’re trying to keep up our resolutions with bringing back some sourdough baking! It’s been a while, but I promise it’s a good one and definitely worth waiting for.

My mom came up with the idea for this bread after realizing just how many figs we had in the fridge. Of course, this is a recipe for dried figs, but using the fresh figs for photography means they get eaten very quickly! They’re already cut, washed, and dried. Which makes them great for snacking on the next day.

But, this was our first real attempt at baking sourdough in a long time. My mom and I were a bit unsure of the process, as doing mix-ins and this flavor combo was really all new to us. On top of that, we filmed a youtube video at the same time! It was a little chaotic, but we managed to get it done.

Though, having a Harry Potter binge while baking this loaf probably didn’t help as we kept getting a bit distracted…

No matter! The loaf genuinely came out perfect THE. FIRST. TIME!

The best way I can think to describe this loaf to you is imagine your favorite cup of Earl Grey Tea, but baked into a loaf! The walnuts bring a very tea-like flavor to the sourdough, on top of the whole wheat, and the figs bring a much-needed natural sweetness. Every flavor kind of balances each other out and creates a loaf that keeps you wanting to come back for more!

Which, it great. Especially when drizzled with a bit of honey.

Honestly, this has been my breakfast for the last 3 days! I simply cannot get enough of it. The best part is that the loaf itself is made with whole wheat, is naturally vegan, and can be made all in ONE DAY. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

Reasons You Should Bake This Fig and Walnut Sourdough Bread Right Now

• This is one of the easiest sourdough’s you can make! It’s made all in ONE DAY! No overnight proofs.
• Actually tastes DELICIOUS.
• Made with a blend of whole wheat flour and bread flour to give you the health benefits, while also giving you a gorgeous structure.
• This bread has the perfect crust!
• Full of flavor and just SO. GOOD.
• Naturally vegan.
• A great way to use sourdough discard!

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer
• Glass Bowls
• (Optional) Bread Proofer
• Banneton
• Bread Lame
• Baking Stone
• Sheet Pan

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

• Whole Wheat Flour
• Bread Flour
• Water
• Salt
• Sourdough Starter
• Chopped Toasted Walnuts
• Chopped Dried Figs

How To Make Fig and Walnut Bread

Step 1: Make the dough

Mix together the whole wheat flour, bread flour, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Cover for 1 hour(S). Mix in salt and sourdough starter. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.

Stir in walnuts and dried figs.

Place in clean glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hours. If using a bread proofer, do not cover. Set for 76 degrees and let proof for about 1 hour.

Step 2: Fold and shape

Turn the dough by folding each of the 4 sides toward the middle. Turn over so that folds are on the bottom. Continue proofing for another 1-1 1/2 hours, until puffy but not completely doubled in bulk.

Turn our the dough and press out lightly into a rectangle. Fold the top third of the dough toward you. Fold in both the left and right corners. Roll the folded part toward you, forming a cylinder and seal gently. Place your thumbs on top of cylinder and roll toward you until your thumbs touch the flat part of the dough. Push in slightly to tighten the dough. Repeat process until dough is completely rolled. Roll gently to seal seam.

Place seam side up in prepared banneton. Cover and proof at warm room temperature (76 degrees) for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Step 3: Turn out and bake

Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Brush away excess flour.

Use a lame or a sharp knife to score the bread. Now, use a peel (or the back of a sheet pan) to slide the loaf onto a hot baking stone. Pour at least 2 cups of water into the preheated sheet pan underneath the baking stone. Quickly close the oven. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. (Do NOT open oven door.) Continue baking for an additional 20 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a sourdough starter? If you don’t have a sourdough starter, there’s no worries! You will need 5 days to make a sourdough starter. Use our recipe and guide How To Make A Sourdough Starter In 5 Days to make one!

How do I know that the dough is properly kneaded? A properly kneaded dough will be smooth and clean the sides of your mixer bowl. Refer to the photos above for help!

Why did my dough not rise? There’s a few reasons that this could’ve happened. The most common is that the bread was over-proofed! The bread will still taste okay, but you will not get the rise you’re looking for. Use a bread proofer to help control temperatures and time.

How does the dough rise without any commercial yeast? A sourdough bread is, in simplest of terms, a bread made without the use of commercial yeast. You will need a sourdough starter, which uses “wild yeast” from the air. So, since you’re using a mature sourdough starter, the bread will rise without any additional yeast!

How can I tell when the bread is properly baked? The most important thing is to follow the times and directions of the recipe card exactly! This will almost always result in a properly baked bread. If you’re unsure, you can actually tap the bottom of the bread and listen. If the bread sounds hollow, it’s baked through!

How To Store

Once this bread is baked, you can store it three ways! In a zip top bag and left at room temperatures for about 1 week, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, OR wrapped with aluminum foil and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months!

Though, if kept in a zip top bag, this bread’s crust will soften and no longer be crunchy. Just keep that in mind! You can always slice it and toast it in the toaster or place the loaf in the oven for a few minutes to get the crust crunchy again!

Expert Tips

• If you don’t have a starter, use our How To Make A Sourdough Starter in 5 Days guide!
• If you already have a sourdough starter and it seems to be a little sluggish/doesn’t have that healthy smell, I recommend giving it about a week or so of really working to revive it. You can find out how/more tips HERE!
• Do not use fresh figs for this recipe. You will need dried figs.
• Toast the walnuts for the best flavor!
• Use glass bowls for the proofing.
• One of the most common mistakes for new bakers is under-proofing or over-proofing. Follow the times and recipe below and your bread should turn out perfectly every time!
• When scoring your bread, don’t cut too deep! You don’t want to deflate the bread.
• Rice flour works the best to flour banneton to prevent sticking.
• Use an old sheet pan for steaming. It will get ruined for other purposes.
• If you are using a proofing box with a water tray, you will not need to cover the dough to proof it.
• Remember to preheat the baking stone!

When you make this Whole Wheat Sourdough Fig and Walnut Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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