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Bündner Birnbrot
Pear and fig loaf
Bündner Birnbrot: Graubünden Christmas loaf of dried pears, figs and nuts in thin bread
Birnbrot is the Christmas loaf of Graubünden, baked in Chur and the mountain villages in December: a dark, dense filling of dried pears, figs, raisins, walnuts, candied peel and warm spices is wrapped in a thin layer of plain bread dough and baked until the crust is golden. It keeps for weeks and is sliced thin with butter (or without, for a vegan loaf). Many families soak the fruit in pear brandy; this version uses pear juice. A common mistake is a thick bread wrapping, which dries out; the crust should be thin. Chef's tip: soak the dried fruit overnight so it is plump and the filling holds together.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz dried pearschopped
- 5 ½ oz dried figschopped
- 3 ½ oz raisins
- 3 ½ oz walnutschopped
- 1 ¾ oz candied peel
- 1 cup pear or apple juice
- 1 ¾ oz brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground aniseed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the dough
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 14 oz dried pears, 5 ½ oz dried figs, 3 ½ oz raisins and 1 ¾ oz candied peel in 1 cup pear or apple juice overnight.
Step 2: Mix 12 ½ oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp salt, ¾ cup warm water and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and knead 8 minutes. Rise 1 hour. Take a third of the dough and knead it into the fruit with 3 ½ oz walnuts, 1 ¾ oz brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground aniseed and 1 tsp lemon zest.
8 minStep 3: Shape the fruit mixture into 2 logs of 25 cm.
Step 4: Roll the remaining dough very thin, about 3 mm, and wrap around each log. Common mistake: a thick wrapping; it dries out. Prick all over.
Step 5: Heat the oven to 375°F (fan 350°F). Bake for 50–60 minutes, until golden.
60 minStep 6: Cool, wrap and leave a day before slicing thinly.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bündner Birnbrot take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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