Rye Bread with Walnuts and Dried Fruits

Before starting this Rye Bread with Walnuts and Dried Fruits, organise all the necessary ingredients for the fermented dough.

For the fermented dough (make the day before): Place the fresh baker's yeast in a bowl.

Add the water and combine until completely dissolved.

Add the flour...

... salt...

... and combine with a rubber spatula...

... until homogeneous.

Cover the surface of the dough with cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours.

For the bread dough: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Cut the dried apricots into medium-sized chunks with scissors.

Repeat the operation with the dried figs. You can replace dried figs with fig paste (see photo).

Cut the walnuts in half.

To complete the dried fruit mix, add the raisins. I used 25 grams of currants and 25 grams of Golden raisins.

Place the fresh baker's yeast in the stand mixer recipient.

Add the flour T65...

... rye flour...

... and salt.

Add the fermented dough made the day before (weigh 50 grams).

Add the water (at room temperature).

Combine with the dough hook at low speed for 5 minutes.

This is what the result should look like after kneading for 5 minutes.

Increase to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes.

The dough should be elastic at this stage. This means the glutinous network has developed.

Add the dried fruits to the stand mixer recipient...

... and knead again for 1 minute at low speed until homogeneous.

The result should be as shown in the photo.

Flour a food tray...

... and transfer the bread dough into the tray.

Flatten the bread dough with your hand and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to rise for 2 hours in a proofing chamber set at 28°C or in a warm room (near a heater).

Remove the cling film from the bowl.

Flour your worktop surface.

Place the bread dough on the floured surface...

... knock the dough back with your palm.

Shape the dough into a fat sausage, folding it back using a dough scraper...

... then roll the dough towards you for create the sausage shape.

The roll is now finished.

Place the seal underneath the roll and give the dough a regular shape.

The result should be as shown in the photo.

Place the bread dough into the baking parchment liner of a wooden baking tray 24 x 11.5 x 7cm.

Arrange the dough and liner into the wooden baking tray.

Place the mould in the proofing chamber...

... and leave to rise at 28°C for 3 to 3.5 hours.

When proofed...

... this is what the result should look like.

Take the tray out of the proofing chamber.

Sprinkle a thin dusting of flour over the bread dough.

Place the bread in the centre of a fan-assisted oven preheated to 240°C (gas 9) and bake for 50 minutes.

When cooked, remove the mould from the oven...

... and leave to cool at room temperature, then release from the mould and slice. Bon appétit!