Fig and Pepper Bread (Recipe Inspired by FIRST FROST)

Posted on November 23, 2018July 1, 2024 by CJ | A Well-Read Tart

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Fig and Pepper Bread is the easy, homemade, artisan bread you never knew you wanted this fall.

Get ready to fall in love, Tartlets, as I take you on a bread-making adventure.

Why is Fig and Pepper Bread the book-inspired recipe for First Frost?

If you’ve read First Frost, you know why I picked Fig and Pepper Bread for this book-inspired recipe. For those of you who haven’t read the book yet:

Get on that. It’s a great book.
Fig and Pepper Bread is what main character Claire Waverley bakes for her town’s First Frost festival. The bread is eagerly anticipated by her family and friends as one of autumn’s first pleasures.

I’ve wanted to make the Fig and Pepper Bread ever since I read First Frost. While I was skeptical about the unusual flavor combo, I more intrigued than anything else. I got to the end of the novel and was delighted to find the recipe for the much-discussed homemade bread!

Ummm. After that… about two years passed? *ducks head in shame* I’ve thought about the recipe often, but I’ve never actually tried it because, confession, you guys: I’ve never made a yeast bread before.

Making Fig and Pepper Bread is really easy. Thank goodness.

Much to my surprise — and extreme relief — making Fig and Pepper Bread was easy. So easy, I was pretty floored by how easy it was.

Admittedly, a large part of that has to do with the fact that I used my stand mixer’s dough hook (for the first time!) to knead the dough.

But, hey, I’m a modern girl, and there’s nothing wrong with doing things the modern way. Plus, the recipe told me I could.

So, if any of you are fellow bread-making newbies, never fear. This is probably the best recipe to start with.

Fresh figs or dried figs in Fig and Pepper Bread?

The recipe for Fig and Pepper Bread is available online, but I’ve rewritten it below with my own notes and some slight alterations to the ingredients. And, some much-needed clarification.

The recipe online calls for “figs,” but it doesn’t specify whether it’s fresh figs or dried figs.

Mr Tart and I had a Great Debate in the middle of the grocery store about which should be used. Said debate may or may not have involved putting a package of fresh figs in the cart, walking away, walking back, replacing the figs, and then later picking them back up again.

There was a lot of indecision. Baking is hard.

In the end, we decided on fresh figs. This is based on Mr Tart’s assumption that “the recipe would have said dried figs if it wanted you to use dried.” He also pointed out the little drawings of fresh figs on the online recipe card.

I had no solid counter-argument, so fresh figs, it was. (I did, however, also grab a package of dried figs. Juuuuuust in case I changed my mind last minute.)

Turns out, fresh figs were DEFINITELY the way to go. They made the dough extremely watery when it was raw, but they caramelized beautifully in the oven once the bread baked. I don’t think the bread would be the same if I had used dried figs.

So, definitely use fresh ones if you can. And, make sure they are really ripe. A few of mine had some juice leaking out the bottom – not a lot, just a little – so I knew they were full of flavor.

Adventures in first-time bread-making

While making Fig and Pepper Bread was easy, it was definitely… an experience. All was going well until I had to “softly knead the chopped figs into the dough.”

Let me tell you, fresh figs do not want to go so easily into that good night. I had floured my hands, as the recipe suggested, to make working the dough easier. But, the juicy figs soon made everything slippery, and it was difficult to get the dough folded back on itself after I had tried to knead the figs into it.

Eventually, I gave up. I yelled Que sera sera and plopped my amoeba of fig-studded raw dough on the baking sheet. It did not look appetizing, and neither will yours. My earlier skepticism about this recipe was back, and for a second I wondered if I should just throw in the towel on this particular adventure.

But, I persevered, dusting the dough blob with flour and pushing the baking sheet into the oven to see what would happen.

Dude. What emerged was AMAZING. My amoeba had magically transformed into a gorgeously brown, crusty, rustic loaf of artisan bread. I actually gasped when I opened the oven to check on its progress.

Why I love Fig and Pepper Bread

I was unable to let the Fig and Pepper Bread cool completely before cutting into it because I was so excited to taste it. The crust crunched delightfully as I sawed into it with the bread knife – like I was cutting real bread that came fresh from a bakery – and that just got me more excited.

The crumb is admittedly a bit dense, which I think is due to the whole wheat flour in the recipe. But, the crust is crispy and crunchy, cracked in all the right places, but the bread inside is soft and slightly chewy.

Each bite contains a subtle hint of pepper, which is a welcome, savory change to so many breads containing added sugar (this one does not).

The crown jewel of Fig and Pepper Bread is when you reach a fig. Gone is the pale, green taste of the raw fruit. It’s been replaced by the robust, earthy flavor of a sweetly caramelized fig. It’s a complete contrast to the peppery base, and I loved it.

My only complaint…

My only complaint about this recipe – and, this is completely my fault – is that there were not enough figs in the bread. Because of the kneading difficulty I mentioned earlier, most of my figs remained near the surface of the bread and didn’t make it into the interior.

Knowing how amazingly the figs turn out, I’ll try harder next time to incorporate the chopped pieces throughout the dough. I encourage you to do the same.

[2024 Note: A lot of readers have commented on their experiences with this bread, which is awesome! Be sure to read the comments below for tips and tricks from other bakers!]

What do you serve with Fig and Pepper Bread?

Fig and Pepper Bread is perfect on its own with a thick slathering of salty, European butter and a cuppa tea.

It would also be delicious served alongside a bowl of Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup or Apple Butternut Squash Soup. Offer it one hearty slice at a time (it’s wonderfully filling), with more on the side in case anyone’s stomach is bottomless.

And, if you want to treat yourself to a decadent lunch, make a Turkey and Brie Grilled Cheese sandwich using Fig and Pepper Bread.