Fig Bread Recipe with Anise and Honey

A baked round of fig bread on a cutting board with a bread knife. The bread is sliced into a few slices to show the figs in the bread.

4.60 from 25 votes

Fig Bread Recipe with Anise and Honey

This irresistible fig bread is lightly sweetened with honey and dotted with tender bits of dried figs, while a hint of anise keeps every slice interesting. The result is a bread that feels both old-world and quietly special. The baking time can range from 25-45 minutes, depending on the shape of the bread. This recipe makes one loaf.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Chill time12

Total Time12 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: French

Keyword: fig bread recipe

Servings:

Calories: 173.3kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

15 ¾ ounces (3 ½ cups) bread flour
1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ cups warm water 105˚-110˚F
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon anise seed or 1 teaspoon ground anise powder
1 cup thinly sliced dried figs Both Calimyrna and Black Mission figs work great
Olive oil

Instructions

Combine the bread flour, yeast, honey, and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low for one minute and move up to the third speed for another minute.
Add the salt and anise, and mix vigorously for 10 minutes on at least the 5th speed. The dough should be soft, smooth, and pliable when pressed by your finger.
Reduce to a low speed and add the sliced figs. Mix long enough to disperse them through the dough as evenly as possible.
Place the dough in a clean, large bowl that's very lightly oiled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and lift one edge of the plastic. The yeast needs to breathe.
Place the bowl in a draft-free, warm place in the kitchen and let the dough rise for 3 - 4 hours until it doubles in size.
Punch the dough down and fold it over itself 2-3 times. Cover again with plastic, ensuring that one edge is loose to allow the yeast to breath. Slide the bowl into the refrigerator overnight.
The following morning, remove from the bowl from the refrigerator. The dough should be all puffed up again.
Preheat the oven to 450˚F with an empty pan on the bottom of the oven. A rimmed sheet pan can be used for this.
Place the dough on a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper and shape it into an round or oval loaf. Lightly dust with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Bring the dough to room temperature.
Score the top of the loaf 2 - 3 times with a razor blade and slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack of the oven.
Spray the insides of the hot oven with cold water to create steam and add 1-2 cups of ice water to the hot metal pan. Immediately close the oven door.
Repeat spraying the oven walls with water 2 more times in the first 5 minutes of baking. This steam helps to create a crusty surface on the bread.
Bake for 25 minutes if you've shaped the dough into a rather flat and wide loaf or 45 minutes if you've shaped the dough in a dome shape, or until the bread's internal temperature measures 190˚F.
Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition