Walnut Bread

Once again I'm lamenting how fast the weekend flew by. I could use 3, or even 4 days off, so I'd have enough time to rest and to work in the kitchen and around the house. Luckily, this time I managed to both rest and go wild in the kitchen, and I have another recipe for you.

Walnut bread had been on my "to make" list for a long time, because I'm not a big fan of sweet breads, and that's exactly what this one seemed like to me. It's true, it is slightly sweet, thanks to the apricots, but it turned out to be delicious with goat cheese and fig chutney, which I've been loving lately :)

Walnut bread

Because whole wheat flour is used, you may find you need to add more water to get a smooth dough.

Directions - Walnut Bread:

Pour the flour into a bowl or onto the counter and make a well in the middle. Pour half of the water into the well, then add the sugar and yeast. Stir lightly with a fork, then add the salt and the remaining water and knead until the dough stops sticking. Add more water if needed.

Chop half of the walnuts coarsely and the rest very finely. Chop the apricots very finely. Add the walnuts, apricots and butter to the dough and knead for about 5 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Dust lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes to rise, until it increases in volume. After that time, turn the dough out of the bowl and slam it against the counter a few times to get rid of the air. Divide the dough into 2-4 portions, shape the loaves and place them on a baking sheet dusted with flour, or put them in a loaf pan. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place for another 30 minutes, until doubled in volume. This is very important, because only then will we get a good bread. You can also leave it to rise longer.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the risen dough for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size), until golden brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan or slicing it.

Enjoy!

Source: "Genial kochen mit Jamie Oliver" by Jamie Oliver - I only reduced the amount of sugar added to the dough.