Easy No-Knead Fruits and Nuts Artisan Bread
An easy overnight artisan bread loaded with dried fruits and nuts that tastes fabulous!
Equipment
- 4 Qt Dutch Oven, or a large lidded baking pot
- Round Banneton/Brotform Proofing Basket (optional)
- Parchment Paper, approx 15" x 15"
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bread Flour (High Protein Flour), sifted
- 1¼ cup Whole Wheat Flour, sifted
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Active Yeast
- 1¾ Cups Cool Water
- ¾ Cup Craisins
- ½ Cup Raisins
- ¾ Cup Dried Apricots, diced
- 1 Cup Pinenuts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the sifted flours, salt, yeast, and water until it becomes a sticky dough. Add the dried fruits and nuts until everything is mixed thoroughly.
- Cover with plastic wrap (or lid) and let the dough rest at room temperature overnight, for at least 8 hours. The dough will rise and become bubbly.
- When ready, turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Carefully shape into a round loaf that will fit into the dutch oven or your baking pot.
- Optional: If using a Banneton proofing basket, prep by generously dusting with rice flour to prevent sticking. Place the shaped dough, smooth side down into the proofing basket. If not, skip to next step.
- Place the shaped dough into a lightly greased bowl, smooth side up. Cover with let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours, or until it is noticably puffy.
- Remove the dough and place on parchment paper, smooth side up. If using the banneton, you will see visible circular lines on the surface. Carefully, using a sharp knife or baker's lame, slash the bread in a cross hatch pattern.
- Holding the parchment paper, transfer the dough to the dutch oven or baking pot. Put on the lid and place the bread into the COLD oven. Set the oven temperature to 450°F.
- Bake the bread in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and then bake the bread for another 5-10 minutes until the top of the bread is deep brown in color. Check with a digital thermometer inserted into the center should read about 205°F.
- When ready, remove from oven and carefully place on trivet. Use the parchment paper to remove the bread and transfer to cooling rack.
- Let the bread cool before slicing, about 25-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the dried fruits with your favorites. For example, dried currants, sour cherry, dried mango, etc. Just make sure to chop the dried fruits into small pieces so that it would mix properly into the bread dough.
- Similarly for the nuts, the recipe calls for pinenuts. I have used coarsely chopped pecans and walnuts too. Simply substitute for the same amount.
- Store completely cooled, uneaten bread in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days.
- Freeze the bread for longer storage.