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Original post published December 28th, 2019. Post last updated on April 12th, 2024.
Packed with hazelnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and blue cheese, this pear bread recipe offers a fun twist on a loaf of traditional cinnamon raisin bread.
What Inspired This Pear Bread Recipe?
What inspired me to create this pear bread recipe?
Well, a few years ago, I wanted to make a recipe I’d found for a savory pear and blue cheese tart. That recipe called for a single pear, but my grocery store only had pears for sale by the bag. Since it was Christmastime and stores were packed, I decided to buy an entire bag rather than scouring multiple grocery stores to find one selling individual pears.
The good news? I had the single pear I needed for my puff pastry tart. The bad news? I had an entire bag of pears I didn’t know what to do with! And sure, I could’ve chopped them and put them in the freezer, but decided to get creative instead. Hence, the idea for this pear bread with blue cheese, raisins, and hazelnuts.
What’s Great About This Pear and Blue Cheese Bread?
To create this recipe, I started with a base recipe similar to my blue cheese bread, adding sweet flavors like cinnamon and pears, and swapping the walnuts in that recipe for toasted hazelnuts. This pear bread works just as nicely for breakfast as it does alongside soup or a salad, or as the base for a brie grilled cheese sandwich.
Pear Bread Ingredients
- Flour – You can use bread flour, all purpose flour, or a combination of the two. For this loaf, I used 300 grams of bread flour, and 100 grams of all purpose.
- Olive oil – I’ve used plain olive oil, but feel free to use something like rosemary or basil oil instead.
- Kosher salt – Diamond Crystal is my go-to. You can also use fine sea salt, if you don’t have kosher salt on hand.
- Instant yeast – You’ll need one packet, or about 7 grams, of yeast.
- Ground cinnamon – Mimicking the classic “cinnamon raisin bread.” You can substitute another ground spice (cardamom, ginger, mixed spice) or omit the spices if preferred.
- Raisins – I’ve made this loaf with raisins, but I’ve also tested with sultanas and they’re just as delicious. Or, substitute currants, golden raisins, or cranberries.
- Hazelnuts – For a bit of crunch. I purchased a bag of pre-toasted and chopped hazelnuts, but you can toast and chop your own. You can also substitute pecans or walnuts, or skip the nuts altogether.
- Blue cheese – For that classic blue cheese pear combination. This recipe will work with any blue cheese, like Stilton, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola.
- Fresh pear – You’ll need 125 grams, or about 1 cup, of diced fresh pear. (For me, one medium pear, cored and diced, yielded the amount needed for this recipe.)
Working with Fresh Pear
Choose a soft, ripe, fragrant pear. Core and remove the stem, but don’t bother to peel.
Core the pear and use a sharp chef’s knife to dice into small (1/4 – 1/2-inch) pieces. Any bigger and you’ll have difficulty incorporating the fruit into the dough.
You can use any variety of pear you’d like, such as Blush, Conference, Packham, Anjous, or Bosc. You’ll want to opt for fresh pears for this bread recipe, not canned or frozen.
Tools and Equipment
This pear bread recipe doesn’t require much in the way of special equipment, but here are a few tools I recommend to help make the breadmaking process easier:
- Bread lame or kitchen shears – For scoring the loaf.
- Elastic food storage covers, shower caps, or clingfilm/plastic wrap – To cover the bowl while the dough proves.
- A half-sheet rimmed baking tray – For shaping and baking the loaf.
- Bench scraper – For mixing the dough, and working in the inclusions.
- Baking parchment – To line the baking tray.
For more tool recommendations, feel free to visit this post about all of the breadmaking tools I love.
Pear Bread Recipe Tips and Tricks
When scoring the loaf, you can keep things very simple (a few snips with a pair of kitchen shears) or create more intricate designs with a bread lame.
When adding the raisins, hazelnuts, blue cheese, and diced pear, you want to mix just enough to make sure each addition is evenly distributed into the dough. Don’t confuse this process with kneading.
Don’t worry if the bread dough feels wet and slippery after adding the pears—this is normal!
Storage Suggestions
Homemade bread always tastes best on the day it is made. Wrap leftovers in parchment and foil, or place in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to three days. You can also wrap leftover pear bread in foil and freeze it for up to three months.
Other bread recipes you might enjoy:
Olive Cheese Bread
Everything Bagel Bread
Blue Cheese Bread with Raisins and Walnuts
Date and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Pear Bread with Raisins and Blue Cheese
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 8-10-inch round loaf 1x
Description
A pear bread recipe with hazelnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and blue cheese. This easy pear bread recipe offers a fun twist on traditional cinnamon raisin bread.
Ingredients
250 milliliters water (1 1/8 cups)
7 grams instant yeast (1 packet)
400 grams strong bread flour, all purpose flour, or a combination of the two
25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
15 milliliters olive oil (1 tablespoon), plus more for greasing the bowl
75 grams raisins (1/2 cup)
40 grams chopped toasted hazelnuts (1/3 cup)
60 grams blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
125 grams finely diced fresh pear (1 medium pear, or about 1 cup diced)
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.
Sieve the flour into the bowl, followed by the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt, taking care to avoid the salt making contact with the yeast.
Add the olive oil and use a bench scraper to combine until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured countertop or silicone rolling mat.
Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the raisins, and use your hands to work them into the dough.
Add the hazelnuts.
Add the blue cheese.
Add the diced pears.
Form the dough (it will feel wet and slippery) into a ball. Place in an oiled mixing bowl.
Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap or an elastic food storage cover. Sit bowl in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down.
Form into a ball and place on parchment-lined baking tray. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F / 204° C.
With kitchen shears or a bread lame, score the loaf as desired.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely prior to slicing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rise Time: 150 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Bread