Tart Cherry and Rosemary Bread with Pecans
My tart cherry and rosemary bread with pecans was a finalist at the 2019 National Festival of Breads! It’s an artisan style bread with unique flavors. This gorgeous, rustic boule will leave you feeling like you made something special.
Overview
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Technique Used: Lean Dough Master Recipe
In 2019, I stepped out of my comfort zone and entered a baking competition! My recipe for tart cherry and rosemary bread with pecans was deemed a finalist. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share the recipe with you but here it is.
For this recipe, I wanted to highlight quality wheat by using both bread flour and whole wheat flour. The combination gives this bread a bit of an earthy, rustic flavor. I added tart dried cherries, fresh rosemary, and toasted pecans for the perfect balance of flavors. I even added a touch of honey for a slight sweetness.
This rosemary bread looks incredibly impressive but here’s my little secret: it’s easy. If you’ve ever made a lean yeasted bread then you already have the process down. With a few unique ingredients, you will have a beautiful boule that’s perfect with a slab of butter or jam.
Why you need to make this rosemary bread
- This is an introductory, artisan-style boule meaning it’s simple and perfect for beginners.
- The unique ingredients of tart cherries, rosemary, and pecans make it highly memorable.
- This boule is impressive! It looks beautiful with minimal effort.
- This is a no-knead recipe with little hands-on time.
2019 National Festival of Breads
In 2019, I entered my first baking competition. I traveled to my home state of Kansas to compete in the National Festival of Breads as a finalist in the Food Blogger Division.
At the festival and competition, I met so many incredible people, connected with fellow Kansans, and was blown away by so many beautiful and delicious recipe entries.
I developed this rosemary bread recipe specifically for this competition. I wanted something with a unique combination of flavors and highlights what Kansas is known for: wheat!
Ingredients in tart cherry and rosemary bread
Basic dutch oven bread only calls for 4 ingredients: water, flour, salt, and yeast. That’s it! Here’s how I am customizing my basic dutch oven bread to make it even more flavorful!
Yeast: The leavening agent in this recipe is dried instant yeast. I recommend using instant yeast (also known as quick-rise or rapid-rise) as this will work best for the timing outlined in the recipe.
Water: Water wakes up and activates the yeast. Dry yeast is in a dormant state and needs moisture to wake it up to begin feeding.
The temperature of the water is very important. You want it to be warm but not hot. Overly hot water can kill the yeast. Cold water will not harm the yeast but it will require much longer to activate the yeast and proof the bread.
I highly recommend using a kitchen thermometer. Somewhere around 110°F (43°C) is perfect for this recipe. If you do not have a thermometer, err on the side of lukewarm (not hot) water.
Honey: A little bit of honey gives this bread a unique, slightly sweet flavor but will not overly sweeten it.
Bread Flour and Whole Wheat Flour: Flour is the structure in bread and the food for yeast. Bread flour will develop the strongest gluten structure and will allow the bread to rise high and develop chewiness. A smaller amount of whole wheat flour is used for additional structure and an earthy flavor.
Salt: Salt not only flavors the bread but also slows down the yeast from activating too quickly. Dough without salt will rise much faster resulting in larger air pockets and an uneven crumb.
Rosemary, Pecans, and Cherries: These 3 ingredients are used for flavor and texture. Although you can technically use dried rosemary, I prefer fresh as it’s more pungent. The pecans should be toasted and the cherries dried. I prefer tart cherries if you can find them but sweet cherries or even dried cranberries will work well.
How to make tart cherry and rosemary bread
This recipe utilizes my lean dough master recipe. A lean dough only requires flour, water, salt, and yeast however, to make this one extra special I added a few extra special ingredients.
Proof the Yeast
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warmed water, instant yeast, and honey. Mix until well combined and let sit 5-10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. This ensures that your yeast is active. If there is no activity and bubbles then your yeast is most likely dead.
Mix the Dough
To the same bowl of proofed yeast, add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and minced rosemary. Start mixing with a spatula and then switch to using clean hands. Squeeze the dough until all of the flour is fully hydrated. This is a sticky dough that will look shaggy at this stage.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a shower cap works really well) and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the toasted and chopped pecans and the dried cherries. Dimple them in to stick to the dough.
Stretch and Folds
Perform a round of stretch and folds. This step helps build elasticity and helps the boule keep it’s shape. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, watch this video as it will help to see the process.
Dampen your hand with water and then grab underneath the dough pulling it up to stretch it as far as it will go without breaking, then fold it down over itself. Go all the way around the bowl until it tightens up into a ball.
Over the next 1 ½ hours perform a total of 4 rounds of stretch and folds every 20 minutes. The timing between the rounds does not need to be exact. Cover the bowl between each round.
After the 4th round of stretch and folds, let the dough rise for 30-45 more minutes before shaping.
Shape
On a lightly floured surface, tip the dough out of the bowl, being careful not to deflate. Starting on the edge of the dough that is closest to you, gently pull out on it and fold it into the center. Now do this same thing on the top edge. Then on the left and the right edge to form your dough into a rough ball.
Flip the dough over seam side down, and gently round it into a ball by pulling it toward you on the counter to create tension.
Dust a round banneton basket or a medium bowl lined with a clean dish towel with rice flour or whole wheat flour. Turn the shaped loaf into the prepared banneton basket or bowl with the seam side up. Cover the dough and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour until puffy and full of air.
Meanwhile, position an oven rack on the center position and place a dutch oven or oven safe pot with a lid inside. Preheat to 450°F/230°C.
*If you don’t have a dutch oven or other oven-safe pot, bake the bread in a cast-iron skillet or on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Bake
After proofing, gently turn the loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper and use a bread lame or a sharp knife to score it however you like. For this one I made a square shape with 4 cuts but usually I do just one slash right down the middle.
Carefully lift the piece of parchment paper with the dough into the preheated pot and cover with the lid.
Bake at 450°F/230°C covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the crust of the bread reaches a deep golden brown or internal temperature of 200°F.
Cool
Allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour at the very least before slicing it. Ideally let it cool for 4-12 hours for the best flavor, texture, and to prevent it from staling too quickly.
Storage
Store uneaten rosemary bread cut side down on a cutting board at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, slice the rest of the loaf and place in a zipper bag in the freezer. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Toast individual slices in the toaster or toaster oven to refresh. No need to thaw, you can toast straight from the freezer.
FAQ
Do I have to use a dutch oven?
I find the best way to bake bread with a crackly crust and a chewy middle is by using an oven-safe pot or dutch oven. If you don’t have one, try my method for baking bread in a cast-iron skillet. You can also bake the loaf on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Can I refrigerate the dough and bake later?
Yes! After shaping the dough, cover the banneton basket or bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it will be. When ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking as instructed.
FAQ
Do I have to use a dutch oven?
I find the best way to bake bread with a crackly crust and a chewy middle is by using an oven-safe pot or dutch oven. If you don’t have one, try my method for baking bread in a cast-iron skillet. You can also bake the loaf on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Can I refrigerate the dough and bake later?
Yes! After shaping the dough, cover the banneton basket or bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it will be. When ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking as instructed.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this tutorial, you might like to try these other delicious bread recipes.
Tart Cherry and Rosemary Bread with Pecans
This is a rustic, artisan-style boule filled with tart dried cherries, fresh rosemary, and pecans. Swap the cherries for cranberries!
Ingredients
- 302 grams (1 ⅓ cups, 320 milliliters) water at about 110°F/43°C
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast, also known as quick-rise or rapid-rise
- 25 grams (1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon) honey
- 320 grams (2 ⅔ cups) bread flour
- 80 grams (⅔ cup) whole wheat flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- about 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 60 grams (⅔ cup) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 100 grams (⅔ cup) dried tart cherries, can substitute with dried sweet cherries or dried cranberries
Instructions
PREP
- Remove the leaves from the stems and mince the fresh rosemary. Measure out about 1 ½ tablespoons. This doesn't have to be an exact measurement.
- Measure out the pecans (60 grams/ ⅔ cup) and then roughly chop and toast them. Either toast them in a dry pan or in the oven. See tutorial for tips.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
Make the bread
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water (302 grams/ 1 ⅓ cups), instant yeast (2 teaspoons), and honey (25 grams/ 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon). Mix until well combined and let sit 5-10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. This ensures that your yeast is active.
- Add the bread flour (320 grams/ 2 ⅔ cups), whole wheat flour (80 grams/ ⅔ cup), salt (1 ¾ teaspoons), and minced rosemary to the bowl with the water/yeast mixture. Use a silicone spatula or dough whisk to begin combining the dough. Once a rough and shaggy looking dough begins to form, switch to mixing by hand. Squeeze and pinch the dough all over until all of the flour is well hydrated. This will be a sticky dough. Do not add more flour.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature. Sprinkle the chopped and toasted pecans and dried tart cherries (100 grams/ ⅔ cup) over the dough. Dimple the mix-ins into the dough, then perform the first round of stretch and folds.
- Over the next 1 ½ hours perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds every 20 minutes (see video if you are unfamiliar with this technique). The timing between the rounds does not need to be exact. Cover the bowl between each round.
- After the 4th round of stretch and folds, let the dough rise for 30-45 more minutes before shaping.
- When the dough is puffy, full of air, and rounding in the bowl, shape the dough into a boule. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, being careful not to deflate. Fold the dough like an envelope, bringing the bottom of the dough to the center, the two sides in, and the top down. Turn the dough over and pull some tension to create a tight ball. See video for more detail.
- Dust a 9 inch (22 cm) round banneton basket or a medium bowl lined with a clean dish towel with rice flour or whole wheat flour. Turn the shaped loaf into the prepared banneton or bowl with the seam side up. Cover the dough and let sit at room temperature (68-74°F/ 20-23°C) for about 1 hour.
- At least 30 minutes before baking your bread, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a dutch oven or oven safe pot inside that is at least 4 quarts in size.
- Gently turn the loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper and use a bread lame or a sharp knife to score it however you like. I typically make just the one big slash down the middle.
- Transfer the dough on the parchment paper carefully into your hot dutch oven or oven safe pot. Place the lid on top and place it on the center rack of the oven and bake with the lid on for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and bake the loaf for 15-20 more minutes until you reach your desired color.
- Allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour at the very least before slicing it. Ideally let it cool for 4-12 hours for the best flavor, texture, and to prevent it from staling too quickly.
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