Pear and Cherry Sourdough Bread

This pear and cherry sourdough bread is loaded with chunks of fresh Asian pear and dried cherries. 

This bread is loaded with chunks of firm Asian pear along with dried cherries, and the contrast of the sweet and tart flavors is pretty tasty. This bread is wonderful warm with butter on the day that it is made. It also makes fabulous toast and sandwiches. 

You can serve this bread as you might serve raisin bread. It even makes fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches. Don't the chunks of baked fresh pear in the bread slices look delicious?

Ingredients:

Leavening: You will need both a sourdough starter and instant yeast. If you don't have a starter, you can create a poolish of equal parts of flour, water, and a very small amount of yeast. Just let it sit out overnight to develop flavor.

From the Pantry: Bread or unbleached all-purpose flour, rolled oats, a small amount of sugar, olive oil, and salt. You'll also need lukewarm water. 

Potato Flour or Potato Flakes: You will need either 1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes). 

Butter: Once you pull the loaf from the oven, brush the top of the loave with about 2 teaspoons of melted butter to soften the crust and add a little shine. 

Dried Cherries: You can also substitute dried cranberries. 

Pears: The trick is to use a firm pear, such as an Asian or Bosc pear. These pears will stand up to the mixer without getting blended into the dough. In this case, I used an Asian pear, specifically a sand pear from Melissa's Produce. There is no need to peel the pears. 

Don't you love the way these are dressed up in little foam mesh outfits to protect them during shipping? 

To Make This Bread:

First, feed your sourdough starter the night before you make the bread. You can either feed just enough for this loaf, or you can refresh your starter and then remove the amount you need for the dough. 

The next morning, combine the starter, olive oil, sugar, warm water, flour, potato flour, oats, salt, and instant yeast and knead with the dough hook for about two minutes. Then, add the pears and cherries and knead for another 6 to 7 minutes. 

After that, let the dough rise until almost doubled, about sixty to ninety minutes. Then, roll up the dough into a log and place it in a bread pan. Let it rise again until it almost doubles. 

Finally, bake the loaf and then let it cool before slicing. 

Equipment You May Need:

Stand Mixer: While you can hand knead this dough, I stand mixer makes it so much easier. Plus, this dough is pretty sticky. 

Instant Read Thermometer: For determining when the loaf is fully baked. The baking time will vary based on the internal temperature.  It also takes the guesswork out of cooking steaks and roasts. 

Kitchen Scale: It's very helpful for measuring ingredients, especially flour. 

Sunday Funday! 

Happy National Pear Month! The Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes featuring the pear. 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Arugula and Pear Salad 
• Culinary Cam: Brûléed Posset-Filled Pears 
• Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Gluten free Frangipane Pear Tarts 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Pear and Cherry Sourdough Bread 
• Food Lust People Love: Pear Crisps 
• Sneha's Recipe: Protein Packed Winter Veggies & Fruit Salad 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Roasted Pear & Beet Salad 

Pear and Cherry Sourdough Bread

Yield: 16 slices

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 H & 35 M

This pear and cherry sourdough bread is loaded with chunks of fresh Asian pear and dried cherries. 

Ingredients

• 156 grams recently fed sourdough starter
• 3/4 cup lukewarm (100 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 269 grams bread flour
• 43 grams potato flour (1/4 cup) or potato flakes (1/2 cup)
• 35 grams rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 113 grams Asian or Bosc pear, unpeeled, cut into pieces about the size of raisins
• 143 grams dried cherries
• Butter for brushing the baked loaf

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the starter, water, olive oil, sugar, salt, flour, potato flour, oats, and yeast. Knead with the dough hook on second speed for about two minutes. The dough should be sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water.
2. Add the fruit to the mixer and knead for about 6 or 7 minutes.
3. Spray a bowl or dough rising bucket with spray oil and add the dough. Turn the dough to lightly oil it. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for approximately 90 minutes, until a little less than doubled in size.
4. Remove the dough and pat it down into a 7 by 12 inch rectangle. Starting with one of the shorter sides, roll the dough into a log. Place the log into a lightly greased 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch bread pan. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and allow the loaf to rise for 45 to 90 minutes, until the middle is 1 inch above the rim of the bread pan.
6. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an addional 25 to 35 minutes, until the bread reaches 190 degrees F in the center. Tent the loaf with foil if it appears to be getting too brown.
7. Remove the loaf from the oven, let it cool in the pan for two to three minutes, and then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

138

Fat (grams)

2 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

0 g

Carbs (grams)

27 g

Fiber (grams)

2 g

Net carbs

24 g

Sugar (grams)

6 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Cholesterol (grams)

1 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/09/pear-and-cherry-sourdough-bread.html

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