Date Walnut Bread

Rich and decadent is how I describe this “Date Walnut bread”. Tender with a heavenly combination of Medjool dates and walnuts, and a lovely sugar icing for a perfect treat. What warms my heart is realizing I am not alone in my love for this recipe, it turns out to be a favorite of many of my readers!

It may look like it is labor-intensive mission to make this date and walnut bread from scratch, but the process is surprisingly easy! Watch the video tutorial to make it easier for you to learn! Enjoy any time of the day— breakfast, dessert, and everything in between.

Watch the video tutorial, and learn how to make this “Date Walnut Bread”!

• The recipe for the “Date Walnut Bread” was posted on February, 2014, the photos and text were updated on September, 2022!

What is the best dates to use?

Use fleshy, soft and moist dates like Omani, Khudri or Medjool dates, and avoid any dry type, since you are going to transform them to a soft paste. Place the pitted dates in a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth, scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the beaten egg, vanilla extract and cardamom powder; gently blend to fully homogenize the mix. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the date paste mixture, and stir all the way through. Once the mixture starts to loosen a bit, remove from heat and set aside to cool down, this will be the filling. Watch the video tutorial above!

Toast the walnuts to bring out their earthy flavor

Preheat your oven to350°F/180°C. Lay the walnuts in a single layer on an oven proof tray, leaving some space between the nuts so that hot air circulates around them evenly. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the walnuts start to brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool down. Roughly chop with a sharp knife.

The Buttery Sweet Dough:

A rich sweet yeast dough bread made with eggs and butter, water, instant yeast, vanilla and cardamom powder. The bread has a shiny golden color coming from both eggs and butter and has a soft and fluffy texture, with a sweet buttery flavor.

• Use instant yeast, so you can integrate it right in the dough without proofing it with water first.
• The dough needs to proof twice: first for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk, and again for 30 minutes after the dough has been filled and shaped to three logs.
• The dough comes together easily kneading it by hand, but can be done in a stand mixer.

To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and instant yeast.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and warm water, then add all to the flour mixture. Knead thoroughly until it is a dough of one texture (you may need to add more water than the called amount, depending on the type of flour).
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside to double in size. Watch the video tutorial above!

Shaping and Baking the Bread:

When the dough is ready, sprinkle some flour on a counter top and divide it into three equal portions.
Taking one piece of the dough at a time, spread using a rolling pin to a rectangle of  (5 inches  x 3.5 inches / 15 cm x8cm) and to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Spread ⅓ of the filling evenly over the dough and sprinkle some walnuts. Roll the dough from bottom to top, exerting pressure as you roll, to get a tight log. Transfer the log to an oven sheet lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix the egg and vinegar and brush the surface of the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough.  Set aside for 30 minutes for a second fermentation. Bake in a preheated oven to 200°C/400°F for about 15-20 minutes or until it turns golden.  Remove from oven and prepare the sugar glaze, in a saucepan over medium heat mix the icing sugar and milk until the ingredients have completely dissolved. Drizzle over the date loaves.

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Take the bread with a step further and toast it!

You can take it a step further and toast leftovers. It is smart and surprising tasty; simply slice the bread into 1 inch thick slices, spread out on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until the bread is browned and toasty. You might even find yourself baking extra of this bread with leftovers in mind. They are amazing with tea!

Storage: The baked cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Date Walnut Bread freezes well. Since this recipe makes three loaves, you can keep one fresh and freeze the others. Just skip the white glaze. Cool the bread completely, then wrap in plastic and again in foil before freezing.

Date based desserts are highly revered in Arab cuisine—associated with celebrations, gatherings, Ramadan iftars, and Eid celebrations. Here are some great date based recipes worth checking:

• Date Maamoul with Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ToDie For Date and Goat Cheese Salad
• Banana and Date Bread with Tahini and Carob Molasses
• Date Filled Ghraybeh
• Couscous Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fried Dates
• Date Cranberry Spiced Cake

Bake it for your family and friends, and I am sure they will appreciate the effort and scent of this freshly baked date walnut bread. Watch the video tutorial above to learn how to make it

• Author:Hadia Zebib Khanafer, 
• Recipe:Date Walnut bread
• Prep Time: 30 minutes preparation + 1 1/2 hours fermentation
• Baking time: 20 minutes
• Serving: 3 large loaves that can easily make 30 pieces

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons instant dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
• 8 tablespoons/ 4 oz/ 114 g butter, melted
• 5 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water

For the date filling:

• 650 gram./1 1/2 lb dates, pitted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup/1 ½ sticks butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, optional
• 1 cup walnuts, roughly crushed

For the  egg wash:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• A drop of vanilla extract

For the sugar glaze:

• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

For the dough:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and instant yeast.
  In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and warm water, then add all to the flour mixture. Knead thoroughly until it is a dough of one texture (you may need to add more water than the called amount, depending on the type of flour).
  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside to double in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling:

• Place the pitted dates in a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth, scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the beaten egg, vanilla extract and cardamom powder; gently blend to fully homogenize the mix. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the date paste mixture, and stir all the way through. Once the mixture starts to loosen a bit, remove from heat and set aside to cool down, this will be the filling.

To assemble:

• When the dough is ready, sprinkle some flour on a counter top and divide the dough into three equal portions.
  Taking one piece of the dough at a time, spread using a rolling pin to a rectangle of (5 inches  x 3.5 inches / 15 cm x8cm)/½ inch thick.
  Spread ⅓ of the filling evenly over the dough and sprinkle some walnuts
  Roll the dough from bottom to top, exerting pressure as you roll, to get a tight log. Transfer the three loaves to a large oven sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave for 30 minutes for a second fermentation.

Egg wash before baking:

• In a small bowl, mix the egg and vinegar, and brush the surface of the loaves.
  Leave for 30 minutes for a second fermentation.

Baking: 

•  Bake in a preheated oven to 200°C/400°F for about 15-20 minutes or until it turns golden. Set aside.

Sugar glaze:

• In a saucepan over medium heat mix the icing sugar and milk until the ingredients have completely dissolved. Drizzle over the date loaves to make zebra stripes. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia's Lebanese Cuisine