Cook the Book: French Walnut Bread

Name: Cook the Book: French Walnut Bread
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mediterranean, French, European
Ingredients: 283 grams cups unbleached all-purpose white flour or white bread flour; 1 teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 473 milliliters ice water, plus more if needed; 2 teaspoons table salt; 8 servings Walnut oil or flavorless vegetable oil for coating dough top and baking pot; 355 milliliters fresh, fine-quality walnut halves; 283 grams cups whole wheat flour, plus extra as needed

The recipe Cook the Book: French Walnut Bread is ready in about 45 minutes and is definitely an outstanding vegan option for lovers of Mediterranean food. One portion of this dish contains about 12g of protein, 30g of fat, and a total of 516 calories. This recipe serves 8. A mixture of table salt, bread machine yeast, fine-quality walnut halves, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful.

Instructions

First rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the whole wheat and white flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water, scraping down the bowl and mixing until the dough is well blended and smooth. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough water to blend the ingredients; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be very stiff.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Dough

Sugar

Water

Wheat

Yeast

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.Meanwhile, reserve 4 perfect walnut halves for garnish.

Ingredients you will need

Walnut Halves

Dough

Wrap

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Plastic Wrap

Bowl

Spread the remainder on a baking sheet and lightly toast, stirring several times, in a preheated 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fragrant and just lightly browned.

Ingredients you will need

Spread

Toast

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Let cool. Chop finely (in a food processor, if desired).

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Second rise: Vigorously stir the cooled walnuts into the dough. If it is not stiff, stir in enough more whole wheat flour to make it hard to stir. Using an oiled rubber spatula, lift and fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl, Invert it into a well-oiled, then flour-dusted, 3 quart (or larger) heavy metal pot (or use a flat-bottomed round casserole with a lid).

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Walnuts

Dough

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Bowl

Pot

Brush or spray the top with oil, then smooth out the surface with an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Cut 1/2-inch-deep slashes to form an x in the center top; well-oiled kitchen shears work best.

Put the 4 untoasted walnut halves in the angles of the "x" for garnish: press down very firmly to embed them. Cover the pot with its lid.

Ingredients you will need

Walnut Halves

Equipment you will use

Pot

Let rise using any of these methods: For a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue until the dough doubles from its deflated size.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Water

Equipment you will use

Microwave

Baking preliminaries: 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 400°F. Lightly dust the dough top with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Wheat Flour

Dough

Equipment you will use

Oven

Bake on the lower rack, covered, for 45 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove the lid and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles clinging to the bottom (or until the center registers 207 to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes more to ensure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Wire Rack

Oven

Skewers

Frying Pan

Remove the loaf to the rack, running a knife around the edges to loosen it, if necessary.

Equipment you will use

Knife

Serving and storing: The loaf tastes and slices best at room temperature. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Ingredients you will need

Bread