Plum And Marzipan Bread (vegan)

Name: Plum and Marzipan Bread (Vegan)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 300 g (2 ½ cups) white bread flour; 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoons) fast action/instant yeast; 50 g (¼ cup) caster or granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 190 g (¾ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) (lukewarm); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 50 g (3 ½ Tablespoons) vegan block butter (softened); about 300 g ripe plums (6 medium); 1 cinnamon stick; 1 star anise; 3 cloves; 2 allspice berries; 1 Tablespoon sugar; 1 Tablespoon water; 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water; 200 g (7 oz) marzipan; demarera or pearl sugar for sprinkling

Published: Nov 15, 2024 · Modified: Dec 1, 2024

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Plum and marzipan bread - this delicious vegan bread is a soft, fluffy, brioche-like yeasted dough filled with marzipan and spiced plum compote.

It is really easy to shape and would make a great fancy breakfast, brunch or snack.

Vegan plum and marzipan bread surrounded by fresh plums and whole spices.

This is a soft, slightly sweet, incredibly moreish vegan brioche style dough that is filled with juicy, spiced plum compote and almond marzipan and is shaped into an impressive looking braid that is actually incredibly easy to make.

You simply roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread the filling down the centre, cut the dough either side into wide strips then fold them over the filling, alternating sides - it looks like you have spent ages braiding it but it only takes a minute and very little coordination!

Plum and almond is a classic pairing and a match made in heaven, combined with the warm spices and soft, buttery, vanilla scented dough it is truly delicious.

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan plum and marzipan bread.

Ingredient Details:

Bread flour: White bread flour helps to give this bread it's soft, fluffy, chewy texture. Plain (all-purpose) flour will also work though the texture isn't quite the same. I don't recommend using wholemeal flour as that will make the bread too dense.

Instant/fast action yeast: I always prefer to use fast action yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn't need to be activated first.

Salt: You simply cannot make good bread without salt. Don't omit it.

Non-dairy milk: Soy milk is always my favourite for baking as it has the highest protein content so most closely resembles dairy milk. Any variety of non-dairy milk will work however, but go for an unsweetened one if you can.

Sugar: I use caster sugar in the dough as it dissolves easily; it can be swapped for granulated if that is all you have. I also like to sprinkle the loaf with either pearl sugar or demarera sugar before baking for extra texture and sweetness.

Vegan butter: A block style butter such as Flora plant butter or Naturli vegan block is best. A spreadable one will work but your dough may be softer.

Plums: You will need about 6 medium sized plums, make sure that they are ripe but not over-ripe.

Marzipan: You need to use marzipan, not almond paste which has a softer texture. Most shop bought marzipan is vegan friendly but do check the packet just in case.

Cornflour: This is needed to thicken the compote filling otherwise it will be too runny and make the dough soggy.

Spices: I use whole spices cooked with the compote to flavour it - cinnamon, star anise, cloves and allspice. You can add powdered spices of your choosing to taste instead.

Close up of a couple of slices of vegan plum and marzipan bread.

How To Make Plum And Marzipan Bread:

Step 1: To make the dough, mix the bread flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to form a shaggy dough.

Step 2: knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.The dough will be sticky at first.

Step 2, a two image collage of the dough while partially and fully kneaded.

Step 3: Knead in the butter then place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.

Step 3, a two image collage of the dough before and after rising.

Step 4: To make the compote, cook the sliced plums with the spices, sugar and water until softened. Add cornstarch mixed with cold water and cook until thickened.

Step 4, a two image collage of the plum compote before and after cooking.

Step 5: Roll the risen dough out into a large rectangle. Flatten the marzipan out into a long, thin rectangle and place it down the centre.

Step 5, the rolled out dough and marzipan.

Step 6: Spoon the compote on top of the marzipan. Cut the dough surrounding the filling into diagonal strips about 4 cm/ 1 ½ inches wide.

Step 7: Fold both ends up, then cross the cut strips of dough over the filling, alternating sides so that it looks like its been braided.

Step 7, a two image collage of braiding the dough.

Step 8: Cover and set aside to rise until puffy.

Step 9: Brush with milk, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Step 9, the bread before and after baking.

Top Tips:

All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Make sure that your yeast hasn’t expired! Out of date yeast can lead to bread that doesn’t rise.

Don't be tempted to add more flour to the dough (unless it is wet rather than sticky), it is supposed to be a bit soft and sticky. If you add too much flour the bread will end up being dry and dense, not light and fluffy.

If you want, you can give the dough it’s first rise overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. This breaks up the workload and gives the buns an even better flavour.

The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones. If you refrigerate the dough for it's first rise, the second rise will take longer than if it's first rise was at room temperature.

You can use different fruit for the compote if you want, just bear in mind that you may need to add more cornflour to thicken it, it needs to not be runny at all otherwise it may make the dough soggy.

You could make it even simpler by using a good quality jam instead of the compote - it doesn't have to be plum jam, cherry would work particularly well.

The best way to tell if a loaf of bread is cooked in the middle is to use a probe thermometer. It is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all baking time as ovens vary so much. The bread should be done when it reaches 90°C / 195°F.

FAQ's:

How should I store it?

This plum and marzipan bread really is best eaten on the day it is baked, but it will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container at cool room temperature. If it is hot out store it in the fridge. The dough will soak up some of the juice from the plums as it sits.

Can I freeze it?

I wouldn't necessarily recommend making and freezing the loaf in advance of serving it, but any leftovers can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature to serve.

Can I make it in advance?

The bread ideally needs to be eaten on the day it is baked so I would not recommend baking it in advance. You can however give the dough it’s first rise overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. Let it rise for about an hour at room temperature to give it a head start, then refrigerate overnight. Allow to come up to room temperature for about half an hour before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

The plum compote can also be made a day ahead of baking and stored (covered) in the fridge.

Can I make it gluten-free?

No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you. It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.

More Sweet Vegan Breads:

Slices of vegan plum and marzipan bread, some turned on their side.

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5 from 1 vote