Fig and Raisin Bread

This simple recipe yields a nice, rustic, crusty bread. Measurements are in cups instead of by weight because this is more about the ratio than the exact weight measurement.

Step: 1

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar to activate yeast. Add bread flour; sprinkle salt on top. Pour in raisins and figs; mix well.

Step: 2

Knead dough for about 10 minutes. Place in a large glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 3 to 4 hours.

Step: 3

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pick up the side of the dough that’s farthest from you and fold it inward, about 3/4 of the way across. Fold the last quarter of the dough all the way back over the far side, creating batard, or torpedo, shape. Press down on the seam with the side of your palm to seal it.

Step: 4

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Sprinkle some cornmeal over the dough and cover loosely; let proof for 45 minutes. Sprinkle more cornmeal onto a baking sheet; flip dough onto the sheet so the seam side faces up. Use a scoring tool or serrated knife to cut a few slashes into the top of the dough.

Step: 5

Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 20 minutes. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes, as it will continue to cook when it comes out of the oven.

Per Serving: 279 calories; protein 7.3g; carbohydrates 61.7g; fat 1.1g; sodium 660.5mg.

Eat good breakfast to start the day has become a good habit. It’s a great way to start my 24 hours off healthfully. The sweet hit from the pickle tree wakes me up and gives me energy to take on the morning. The sweetness is often vilified as the evil of all disease, but sweetness is also loaded with fibre, which is great for your digestive system and helps keep you feeling full all day , and less likely grab a snack out of the vending machine before break .

Making fruit a at 7.00 clock habit is easy . Easy as put the fruit in your fridge next to the sweet drink or on the bench next to your cereal pan , or beside your coffee maker or tea kettle — somewhere where you’ll find it. Before you eating the rest of your food , eat your fruit. If you’re not normally a breakfast person.

Giving your body a bit of sugar in the morning is important to kick-start your metabolism for the day and insert important element to your brain, which, incidentally, requires a continue supply of sweetness in the form of process glucose, counting at to around 120g daily. There is also substantial evidence to backup the idea that a diet high in fiber can lowering your risk of a count of of cancers. And of course, you well-being from all the other supplement and antioxidants in fruit, which keep you strong and healthy.