WALNUT BREAD - PAIN AUX NOIX

I definitely love making bread. There is something so therapeutic as well as rewarding about it. Not only does it help you release all tensions, get relaxed, brings you joy and happiness, but it also give you the impression of being more alive and anchored in you body. The dough feels so organic as well as real that it puts you feet back on the ground and helps you center yourself. It is a kind of meditation or yoga. And the smell and taste of homebaked bread is so soul-uplifting. A real key to inner harmony...

"All sorrows are less with bread."
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote

Although I cannot imagine living without eating this marvelous staple I nonetheless try to limit my bread consumption (too much starchy food is not good for the health). During the week I rarely eat bread, but when the weekend comes, then you can be sure there there'll be a bread orgy at my place! I always make sure to have fresh bread on the Sunday brunch table and on Fridays or Saturdays we generally eat pizza, gourmet sandwiches, hamburgers or bread and cheese or something of this kind.

Two weeks ago I bought tons of cheese (Tommes du Vigneron, Cantal, Fourme d'Ambert, Chabichou du Poitou, Petit Livarot, Camembert & Cancaillotte) in neighboring France (Ferney-Voltaire). As my favorite way of serving cheese is the traditional Swiss/French way (with bread) and those cheeses deserved to be eaten with a more refined kind of bread, I decided upon making "Walnut Bread". No other nut than the walnut pairs up as perfectly with cheeses that have character.

I chose to adapt one of Beth Hensperger's recipes (California Walnut Bread, page 150) from her great and very useful bread book "The Bread Bible: Beth's 300 Favorite Recipes". That recipe is really interesting as walnut oil is added to the dough, for extra flavor. The original recipe calls for using only unbleached all-purpose flour. As I wanted my bread to be a little healthier and have more flavor I replaced part of the white flour by a little rye and whole wheat flour. This resulted in lovely loaves full of aroma.

That delightful "Walnut Bread" was the perfect accompaniment to my extra "stinky" cheeses. As the dough contains milk and oil it's texture was just like that of toast bread; smooth, soft and fluffy. Taste-wise we were not at all deceived. My bread had lots of oomph and was so fragrant. This "Walnut Bread" is highly satisfying with it's multi-dimensional gusto and exhaliratingly nutty savor. Terrific!

~ Walnut Bread ~
Recipe adapted from Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Bible".

Makes two 20 x 10cm (8 x 4 inches) loaves or two round loaves or two batards or about 20 dinner rolls.

Ingredients for the "Sponge":
2 Tbs Active dry yeast
1/4 Cup (60ml) Warm water (no hotter than 46° C/115° F)
2 Cups (255g) Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
3 Tbs Runny honey or light brown sugar
2 Cups (480ml) Milk, at room temperature
Ingredients for the "Dough":
1 1/2 Cups (190g) Walnuts
1/2 Cup (105ml) Walnut oil
1 Tbs Sea salt
1 1/4 Cups (160g) Whole wheat Flour
3/4 Cup (100g) Rye flour
1 Cup (128g) Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour

Méthod for the "Sponge":
1. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (using the paddle attachment), whisk together the yeast, water, flour, honey or sugar and milk. Beat hard until smooth and creamy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let rest in a warm spot (room temperature) for about 1 hour, or until bubbly.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet and roast them until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Let the walnuts cool and then chop them coarsely.
3. Add the oil, salt and 1 Cup (128g) of the flour to the sponge. Start mixing (using the hook attachment). Add the walnuts and the remaining flour 1/2 cup (60g) at a time until a soft shaggy dough is formed (it should clear the sides of the bowl).
4. Machine knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until the dough is moist, smooth, springy and passes the window-pane test. Add a little flour (1 Tbs)during the process if it's too sticky.
5. Transfer the dough to a greased deep container/bowl and turn once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap or a humid towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Gently turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into 2 equal portions (or in 20 portions). Shape into round, batard or standard loaves (or shape into 20 little rolls). Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet or in greased loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a humid towel. Let rise at room temperature until double in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F) twenty minutes before baking.
8. Bake the loaves on the centre rack of the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Let cool on a rack.

Remarks:
You can replace the walnuts by any other nut of your choice. In that case use an oil in relation to the nuts you've chosen (hazelnuts = hazelnut oil).
If you want to make a white bread version, then replace the rye and whole wheat by unbleached all-purpose flour.
This bread can also be made without using a mixer. Use a sturdy wooden spoon instead and knead by hand.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this bread with cheese or make sandwiches (Pastrami, Mortadella, chicken salad, etc...) with it.

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~ Pain Aux Noix ~
Recette adaptée de Beth Hensperger "The Bread Bible".

Pour 2 pains rectangulaires de 20 x 10cm ou 2 pains ronds ou 2 bâtards ou 20 petits pains.

Ingrédients pour le "Poolish":
2 CS de Levure sèche
60ml d'Eau tiède (pas au dessus de 46° C)
255g de Farine blanche
3 CS de Miel liquide ou de sucre brun
480ml de Lait entier, à température ambiante
Ingrédients pour la "Pâte":
185g de Noix de Grenoble
105ml d'Huile de noix
1 Cs de Sel de mer
160g de Farine complète
100g de Farine de seigle
128g de Farine blanche

Méthode pour le "Poolish":
1. Dans le bol d'un mixer/batteur (utiliser le batteur plat), battre ensemble la levure, l'eau, la farine, le miel ou le sucre et le lait afin d'obtenir une mélange visqueux, crémeux et homogène. Couvrir avec du film plastique ou un linge humide (sans les alisser toucher le mélange) et faire lever à température ambiante pendant 1 heure ou jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux.
2. Pendant ce temps, préchauffer le four à 180° C. Mettre les noix sure une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé et les faire griller pendant environ 8 minutes. Faire refroidir les noix et les hacher grossièrement.
3. Ajouter l'huile, le sel et 128g de farine au poolish. Avec le batteur (+ crochet), commencer à pétrir. Ajouter les noix et la farine restante par petites quantités (60g à la fois) afin d'obtenir une pâte molle qui ne colle pas aux bords du bol.
4. Pétrir au batteur pendant 5 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit humide, douce et, élastique.

5. Transférer la pâte dans un bol huilé et faire tourner la pâte afin que l'huile la recouvre. Couvrir avec un film plastique ou un linge hunide. Faire lever à température ambiante pendant environ 1 1/2 à 2 heures ou jusqu'à ce que le pain ait doublé de volume.
6. Mettre la pâte sur le plan de travail et la diviser en deux parts égales (ou en 20 portions). Former en un pain ronds, bâtards ou en pains rectangtulaires (ou faire 20 petites boules rondes). Recouvrir la plaque avec du papier sulfurisé et placer les pains sur la plaque. Couvrir avec du film plastique ou un linge humide. Laisser lever à température ambiante jusqu'à ce que les pains aient doublé de volume, pendant environ 45 minutes.
7. Préchauffer le four à 190° C au moins 20 minutes avant d'enfourner les pains.
8. Cuire les pains au centre du four pendant 35 à 40 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés et sonnent creux. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noix de Grenoble par les noix de votre choix. Dans ce cas vous devez utiliser une huile fabriquée avec les même noix que vous avez utilisé (par ex. noisettes = huile de noisette).
Si vous voulez confectionner un pain complètement blanc, alors remplacez la farine de seigle et la farine complète par la même quantité de farine blanche.
Ce pain peut aussi être confectionné sans l'aide d'un mixer. Il vous faudra utiliser une cuillère en bois bien solide et pétrir la pâte à la main.

Idées de présentation:
Ce pain est délicieux avec du bon fromage ou lorsqu'il est utilisé pour faire des sandwiches (pastrami, mortadelle, salade de poulet, etc...).