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Sliced walnut bread showing the bits of walnuts and texture of the crumb.

Walnut Bread

A rich, nutty sandwich bread which also makes great toast.

Course Bread
Cuisine American
Keyword Bread, Sandwich, toast, Walnut
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Author Dann Reid

Ingredients

Walnut bread ingredients

  • 280 g Water
  • 75 g Maple syrup
  • 100 g Whole, unsalted butter
  • 164 g Old fashioned oats, pulsed in food processor Not instant or quick coooking
  • 95 g Whole wheat flour
  • 266 g Bread flour
  • 9 g Salt
  • 9 g Instant yeast
  • 125 g Toasted, chopped walnuts the toastier the tastier-but don't burn
  • 50 g Starter or old bread dough

Instructions

Mix the dough

  1. Heat oven to 375° F. Chop cooled walnuts into small but not tiny pieces. Butter the inside of the bread pan and a stainless steel bowl.

  2. Combine all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and turn on to low speed. Mix for 4 minutes.

  3. The dough may appear a bit shaggy but will start to come together at the end of the first mix.

  4. Turn the speed to medium (4 on a KitchenAid) and mix another 4 minutes.

  5. The dough should be well mixed. If you've a smaller mixer you may need to push the dough back into the bowl with the end of a wooden spoon. No finger, please!

  6. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, shape it round to form a seam at the bottom and place it seem side down into a lightly buttered bowl large enough to hold it as it ferments.

    Walnut dough just mixed in the mixing bowl. Now it goes to the fermenting bowl.

  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 40 minutes.

  8. After time, lift the dough out and stretch it twice its size. Return the ends together, turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times so the dough comes full circle. Return to the fermenting bowl for another 40 minutes.

  9. After time, gently turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and fold for a sandwich loaf. It will make a fine free form round loaf or baguettes if you prefer. In those cases, don't forget to score the bread before you bake it.

  10. Let the dough proof in the sandwich loaf pan until it crests the top of the pan by an inch. Place into the hot oven, reduce the temperature to 350° F and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the thump test produces the hollow sound. Be careful getting the hot loaf out of a hot pan.

  11. Return the depanned loaf to the oven to bake an additional 5 mintues to give the sides some strength. Remove the bread to a cooling rack and wait. Wait wait wait.

  12. After at least 20 minutes it is okay to cut the bread. Slap a good amount of butter on the end piece and tell everyone how horrible it is and you must eat it all. Alone.

Recipe Notes

You can absolutely replace the whole wheat flour with the more rustic country wheat which is much more coarse.  That will change your water needs so keep an eye on the consistency.  A touch too wet is better than too dry.