Just made this delicious wholemeal wheat, spelt and walnut bread
i finally came up with my own recipe with thanks to a couple of tricks from the wonderful Dan Lepard. After months of experimenting with different processes, types of breads and ingredients while inflicting the mistakes on my family i have arrived at my first proper recipe for a really delicious sandwich loaf - if i may say so myself - made with instant yeast, a quick sponge, some wholegrain flours and nuts.
Sponge (make 2 - 4 hours beforehand or night before and stick it in the fridge)
2 tsp instant yeast
225g wholemeal wheat
300g water
For final dough
175g wholemeal wheat
50g wholemeal spelt
130g walnut paste (see below)
100g toasted walnuts
9g salt
30g honey
250mg Vitamin C pill (it has ascorbic acid in it which gives a light quality to the wholegrain bread)
Walnut paste
50g unsalted butter
40g toasted walnuts
40g water
pinch of salt
add dry ingredients to your sponge and mix. Leave for 15 minutes and then knead/fold/whatever way you like doing it until you have a good ball of dough. Let it rise for 30 - 45 minutes (remember it all depends on your conditions). Butter and flour a sandwich tin. Shape your dough and let proof for 1 - 1.5 hours. Again all dependent on your conditions.
Pre-heat oven to 220C. Sift flour over top of loaf and score. Steam your oven and put in tin. Bake for 20 minutes and lower temperature to 200C and bake for further 20 - 25 minutes. Remove. Check internal temperature. If cooked leave to cool. Devour.
A few notes on this.
- I love walnuts but my family arent pushed so i compromised with 100g. Feel free to add in another 50g or so.
- Even though this bread has 30g of honey in it there is no sweetness rather the honey seems to take the edge of the wholegrain and theres a hint of it in the tender crust. Having said that honey and toasted walnuts are a great combo so feel free to add more sweetness.
- just to add im in Ireland so hydration for the above bread will be different. On this side of the pond our flours are less absorbent so you'll probably have to add more water.
Think thats it. Hope you all try it, enjoy it. I think ill do a sourdough version and see how it works....
Well done and happy baking
Thanks its light and full of flavour without all the density - is like to think it happens to be healthy :) and walnuts have such an earthy quality - now onto another sourdough....this forum is an endless list of great new recipes, ideas and inspired riffs, keeps us all busy and getting better
i feel i shouldnt have put this up cause im kinda tooting my own horn however it is a great bread, simple to make - if you like wholewheat and walnuts - and really moreish so thanks for the simpson or should that be 'the simpson' : )
With a loaf that looks like that, toot away! Well done. Remarkable pictures.. !! Congratulations.
thanks - its nearly gone....definiteley a keeper - today its a multigrain sourdough..
@bread1965 you have alot of walnut and fig recipes bookmarked - ive gone and grabbed them - they look delicious
Looks and sounds amazing! Beautiful all around. I will have to try this one someday. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect loaf! Thank you for sharing your recipe. In my to-do list.
thats great hope you all enjoy it...its relatively quick to make and if i can do it anyone can. i must say im loving this forum so many good recipes on it and ive been bookmarking like crazy...always great to find fellow obsessives out there
just to add im in Ireland so hydration for the above bread will be different. On this side of the pond our flours are less absorbent so you'll probably have to add more water.
Great looking. Walnuts, well nuts in general, are such a welcome treat in the right bread. And this looks like the right bread!
thanks alfanso - i have to work on the aesthetics but im getting there- im at the 'rustic' rough and ready stage but it does taste great and of course the better quality nuts you have the better it will taste
I see the ingredient list for the walnut paste,but no direction as to how it is made.
Thanks,Jim
Hi Jim
Just soften butter and add water and finely chopped nuts. I pulverised walnuts by hand and then used fork to bind all the ingredients together but if you were to make more just use a food processor or hand blender...basically use anything that can give you a smooth paste....i did it the night before and then put in fridge. Next day took it out and let it soften