Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g whole wheat flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 180 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 80 ml neutral oil
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 200 g italian prune plums, pitted and diced
- 100 g walnuts, toasted and chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 333 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 280 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
- Potassium
- 300 mg
- Calcium
- 103 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 36 mg
- Phosphorus
- 181 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 30 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius, which is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
Dice the pitted Italian prune plums into 1-centimeter pieces on a cutting board.
Chop the toasted walnuts roughly.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Beat the dark brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl until entirely smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
Fold the diced plums and chopped walnuts gently into the batter until evenly distributed.
Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface evenly.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes before using the parchment overhang to transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Italian prune plums, also known as Empress plums, are ideal for baking because their freestone nature makes them easy to pit, and their lower moisture content prevents the batter from becoming soggy.
- Always toast the walnuts before using them. A quick 8-minute toast in a 175C degree oven amplifies their natural oils and prevents them from tasting bitter or raw in the finished bread.
- The inclusion of whole wheat flour adds a nutty flavor that complements the walnuts, while keeping the crumb tender thanks to the acidity of the buttermilk.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice before freezing and wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in a toaster oven at 150C for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Plums sank to the bottom of the bread
Cause: The plum pieces were too large or held too much moisture.
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking, but slicing the bread thicker helps hold the base together.
Prevention: Toss the diced plums in a tablespoon of the measured flour mixture before adding them to the batter.
Bread is dense and gummy in the center
Cause: Underbaked or overmixed batter.
Fix: If noticed immediately after removing from oven, return to bake for another 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.
Prevention: Ensure oven is properly preheated and mix wet and dry ingredients only until just combined.
Crust is burning before the center is cooked
Cause: Oven temperature runs hot or pan is too close to the heating element.
Fix: Tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
Prevention: Use an oven thermometer to verify temperature and bake on the middle rack.
Cultural Context
Quick breads gained immense popularity in America during the late 18th century with the discovery of chemical leaveners like pearlash, which later evolved into modern baking soda and powder. This specific recipe draws inspiration from late-summer harvest traditions, utilizing Italian prune plums that briefly flood farmers' markets at the transition point between summer and early autumn.
