Walnut Sage Bread Recipes

NORDIC WALNUT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl; dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. If you are using dry yeast, add this together with the flour.
• Add the honey, the three types of flour and then stir/knead everything into a nice dough.
• Add the chopped walnuts and the salt and knead everything into the dough. The kneading time is 5-10 minutes.
• Leave the kneaded dough in the bowl, cover it with a dishtowel and set it aside some place warm. Let the dough rise for 60 minutes.
• Divide the dough into six pieces and roll each pieces into long 'sausages'.
• Take three sausages and connect them in one end. Braid them, and connect them at the other end. Continue the same way with the next three sausages.
• Now you twist the two braided breads into one single bread. Fold the two ends under the bread.
• Place the twisted bread on a parchment paper covered oven plate. Cover it with a clean dishtowel and let it rise for another 30 minutes some place warm.
• Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F).
• Spray a little cold water into the oven to create some water vapor. Now bake the bread for about 35 minutes. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when knocking at the bottom of it.

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice and zest; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. , Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65-70 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

OLD FASHIONED WALNUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl.
• Add egg, shortning, milk and vanilla.
• Stir until all is moistened.
• Stir in the walnuts.
• Bake in a 9x5 loaf pan for 1 hour, 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

WALNUT-SAGE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bread bowl, thoroughly mix dry ingredients.
• Add the water, first stirring with a spoon, then using your hand to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated into a ragged ball. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 50 minutes.
• On a lightly oiled counter, stretch the dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Fold in thirds as you would a letter. Turn 90 degrees and fold in thirds the other way. Return to the bowl and cover. Let rest for another 50 minutes.
• Repeat the previous step twice more for a total of 3 foldings and four 50 minute rests. Each time you do this the dough will present more resistance and you will make smaller rectangles.
• Gently shape the dough into a loaf by flattening it slightly, rolling into a loaf shape, and pinching to seal the ends and bottom. Place in a pan that will provide the loaf with some support, e.g. an oval au gratin pan. Either grease the pan or line with parchment paper.
• Let the formed loaf sit 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 400F. Slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor to release the surface tension and increase "oven spring" (continued rise while baking).
• Bake 1 hour, cool on a rack before slicing.
• Hint: The temperature of your kitchen will affect the bread. The times given here are for my 68F kitchen. In the summer, when the kitchen 78F, the rest times are shortened to 45 minutes. On a hot day with the windows open, I might shorten it to 35-40 minutes. Adjust the times to fit the temperature of your kitchen.