Walnut Bread

This walnut bread I’m bringing you today will delight everyone at home. Simply spread with good butter for breakfast, it’s amazing, but if you serve it as an accompaniment to a cheese board or a good selection of smoked foods, you’ll get an exquisite combo, because it pairs beautifully.

Another of its advantages, besides its flavor and aroma, is that it freezes very well. Something very useful if you want to make sure you always have a slice ready to toast when the craving strikes. And that can happen at any time, since once you try it, it’s very likely that you’ll find it hard to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner without it. Also, since it’s a dense-crumb bread, this walnut bread is perfect for soaking up the sauce from stews and roasts, or for serving with spoonable casseroles.

For baking, and also for proofing the dough, I recommend using the Emile Henry XL ceramic bread cloche. It’s not only very practical, but in this case, where we’ve made a good-sized loaf, the result is wonderful. Its design and material provide a crisp crust and perfect baking, thanks to the air circulation and temperature inside the mold. 

So you can make this delicious walnut bread at home, here’s the recipe. I hope you enjoy the result.

 Emile Henry XL ceramic bread cloche

Ingredients

• 700 g plain wheat flour
• 350 g warm water (around 35 °C)
• 10 g dry baker's yeast
• 170 g honey
• 60 ml olive oil
• 12 g salt
• 125 g pecans, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
• 140 g almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

Preparation

1. Warm the water slightly, until it reaches about 35 °C.
2. Mix the water with the yeast in a large bowl until completely dissolved, and add 1/3 of the flour. Stir to combine and let it rest for about 10 minutes in the bowl, covered with a cloth.
3. Once the time is up, add the honey, oil, and salt; mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
4. Then start adding the rest of the flour. Do it little by little, so that you add some and mix it in, then add another portion and mix again. Repeat several times, until you can’t add any more flour because of the dough’s consistency.
5. At this point, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the countertop. Add the rest of the flour to the dough and start working it until you get a smooth ball. If you need to at any point, you can wet your hands to help bring the dough together.
6. Transfer the dough to the bowl and oil it all over so it is completely coated.
7. Cover the bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature until you see it has doubled in size. About 1 hour and a half.
8. Place the dough back on the countertop and press it down to knock out the gas.
9. Scatter the chopped walnuts and almonds over the top and shape it into an oblong loaf, longer than it is wide.
10. Place the dough in the Emile Henry XL ceramic bread cloche, cover with the lid or a cloth, and let the dough rise for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 °C.
11. When the proofing time is up, sprinkle a little flour over the dough and make several cross-shaped cuts using a bread lame or a very sharp knife.
12. Bake the bread with the lid on for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
13. Once the time is up, remove the mold from the oven and let it cool before unmolding for about 20 minutes.

 Notes

• If you prefer to make it with a machine, you can mix and knead the ingredients in your food processor. 
• With the ingredients listed, you’ll get a large loaf; you can make a smaller amount if your mold is smaller, or make it as is and freeze part of it sliced so it’s ready when you want to enjoy it.
• If you like raisins, you can add a few, previously soaked, along with the chopped walnuts and almonds.