The Best, Walnut Bread, Rich, and Delicious

Rich, and delicious, Walnut Bread is a perfect bread to serve with cheese at a casual lunch. Or as part of a dinner party meal. Savoury yet sweet it’s very moreish and is just as good lightly toasted and served with butter.

If you’re not familiar with making bread. Read our page on Making Bread at Home for all the information and tips you need to make your own great bread.

Makes two small loaves.

Ferment.

2tsp – 7g                                  dried yeast

3 tbsp                                       water at blood heat

Good pinch                              flour

The dough.

330g                                          granary flour

½ tsp- 3g                                  Salt

45g                                            unsalted butter

25g                                            dark brown sugar

190ml                                        milk at blood heat

60g                                            chopped walnuts

60g                                            sultanas

Oven temperature   200˚c 395˚f

You will need.

2 x 1lb loaf tins with liners

Mixing bowl or mixing machine

Small saucepan

Bowl for the milk

A fine sieve

Small bowl for the ferment

Measuring spoons

Chopping board and knife

This is a complex bread enriched with brown sugar, sultanas, and walnuts. All of this can be a struggle for the yeast to cope with, so a ferment is used to help the bread prove. Look up our post on ‘What is Yeast a baker’s guide’ to get the lowdown on how to use yeast and get the best from it.

How to make, a ferment.

Put the flour into a clean mixing bowl and add the salt. Mix the yeast with the lukewarm water in a small bowl add a good pinch of flour stir in and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes. The contents of the bowl should be light and bubbly when ready for use.

Getting organised.

To enhance the ‘nutty’ flavour of the bread we are going to toast the butter and make nut brown butter. The French term for this is ‘Beurre Noisette which is commonly used at a dressing for fish, pasta, and vegetables.

Before you start whisk the milk and sugar together in a small bowl. Have a small fine sieve ready and keep both to hand.

How to make, Beurre Noisette.

Dice the butter and pop into a small saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat and watch it closely. This will need your undivided attention. You can go from Beurre Noisette to Beurre Noir (black butter) very quickly.

Watch the pan like a hawk. The butter will begin to foam and make a crackling sound as the moisture is driven off. After a couple of minutes, the foaming will slow down the noise from the pan become quieter. You are now seconds away from been ready. The butter will start to become golden brown with a light crust on the surface.

Immediately strain the butter through the fine sieve into the milk and stir well.

If you think the butter has gone too far DON’T put into the milk. You will just waste everything. Get some fresh butter and have another go. Don’t worry once you have mastered it its quite straightforward.

Making the dough.

Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl with the dough hook attached and mix on a slow speed. Pour the milk and butter mixture into the flour a little at a time. Then add the ferment water which should now be actively bubbling with yeast.

Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes to stretch the dough after which it should be soft and elastic.

Roughly chop the walnuts and add them to the dough with the sultanas.

Remove the dough hook then cover the bowl with a cloth leave in a warm place (about 25°C/75°F) for the dough to rise. This will take about 1 hour.

Moulding the dough.

Tip the dough out onto the work surface and ‘knock back, the dough. Do this by punching it with the heel of your hand 2 or 3 times; this will release some of the gases in the dough. Then fold the dough over three or four times to spread the yeast cells through the dough.

Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape and divide into 2 pieces. Place the dough ‘sausages’ in the lined tins and cover with a tea towel. leave the tins in a warm, draught-free place to ‘prove’ for about 45 minutes. When ready the loaves should have almost doubled in size.

Alternatively, the dough can be formed into small loaves on a baking sheet.

Baking the bread.

Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

When baked turn the loaves out of the tins onto a wire rack to cool completely before use. Use within three days or freeze for later use.

Tips.

A packet fast action yeast can be used instead of the dried yeast if wished.

To add even more flavour, try the addition of ½ tsp of chopped fresh rosemary leaves into the dough.

Do give this bread a try. I guarantee once you have, it will become a regular treat.

Enjoy Life!

John.

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©John Webber. 2023