Moist date and walnut bread

Moist date and walnut bread with spelt flour, eggs, butter and cinnamon – an aromatic recipe with a soft crumb, nutty bite and natural sweetness from dates.

At a glance

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 45 min
• Total time: 60 min
• Calories: 350 kcal per serving
• Protein: 8 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 50 g

Ingredients

• 250 g dried dates
• 200 g spelt flour
• 100 g chopped walnuts
• 2 organic eggs
• 60 g soft butter
• 250 ml boiling water
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

You’ll need: oven · loaf tin · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl

1. Roughly chop the dates, put them in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle with the bicarbonate of soda. Pour over the boiling water and leave to stand until soft.
2. Let the date mixture cool a little. Stir the butter, eggs and cinnamon together in a second bowl, then fold in the date mixture.
3. Gradually work in the spelt flour until you have an even batter. Finally, carefully fold in the walnuts.
4. Pour the batter into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and smooth the top. Bake in the oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan) for 40–45 min, until the bread has risen and the top cracks slightly.
5. Test with a skewer and leave the bread to rest briefly in the tin. Then take it out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Cut into slices and serve plain or with a little butter.

Good to know

This bread is soft, spiced and pleasantly dense. It tastes of a slow afternoon and freshly brewed coffee. And it stays surprisingly moist.

Swaps

Butter → ghee (lower in lactose and good for high heat); spelt flour → wholemeal spelt flour (more fibre); walnuts → pecans (milder, similarly nutty); cinnamon → cardamom (a different spice, similarly aromatic)

Allergens

Contains gluten, eggs, milk and tree nuts. Usually well suited to children if the nuts are finely chopped, and unremarkable during pregnancy as long as all ingredients are fresh and it's baked through.