banner image

Walnut bread. No knead, slow bread

Equipment

1 loaf tin
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Sharp knife or scissors
Tray, board or work surface

Ingredient

Makes 1 loaf
For walnut paste:
40g walnut
40ml water
2 tablespoons honey
For the dough:
230g wholemeal flour
230g white flour
40g halved walnuts
half teaspoon dried yeast
385ml water
Olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Semolina or flour for dusting tins

Method

First make a walnut paste. Blend 40g walnuts with 40ml water and 2 tablespoons of honey
Pour 385ml of warm (tepid not hot) water into large bowl
Add 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
Swirl bowl to mix yeast
Add 230g wholemeal flour and 230g of white flour (or vary percentages to suit taste)
Add walnut paste
Add walnuts
Add salt

Stir with wooden spoon to mix – ensuring no dry flour sits at base of bowl. This may take a minute to ensure no dry flour at base of bowl
Scrape mix down sides of bowl with spatula
Swirl a little oil around edges of dough. This allows dough to rise up sides of bowl without sticking
Cover with tea towel and perhaps a plate to keep moisture in
Leave for 12 to 14 hours at normal room temperature. Yeast is killed with heat so don’t be tempted to put it somewhere very warm.
……………………
When the dough is ready prepare your loaf tins by dusting with semolina or flour Semolina gives a nice crunch and can be used on top of the loaves too
I flip my dough out onto an oiled stainless steel tray, but you can use flour instead of oil. I also use the oiled tray to oil the cling film which will later cover the loaves
Lift the dough and stretch into oblong
Fold like an envelope – top third over middle, then bottom third over middle
Repeat a couple more times to stretch the dough a bit.
Lift and drop into loaf tin previously dusted with flour or semolina
Leave for 2 hours covered with tea towel
Prepare oven about 20 minutes before this
Heat to 240 degrees C
As soon as the oven is ready lift off tea towel and score with sharp knife or scissors
My knives never seem sharp enough but scissors are very effective. 3 or 4 snips in at an angle about 10cm (very approx), along the loaf
Then into the hot oven – adding a cup of water to the tray at the bottom of the oven at this point is beneficial
Close oven and set timer for 15 minutes.
After this time lower the heat to 210-220 degrees – depending on how much the loaves are browning
Set timer for 20 minutes
Remove baked loaf from oven and onto a rack to cool
If you leave them to cool completely this allows the moisture in the bread to spread evenly throughout the whole loaf
Enjoy!
This slow, no knead method works for almost any bread recipe I have yet tried
This loaf also freezes well. Slice it before freezing if you just want a couple of fresh slices to eat