Walnut Bread (Pain aux Noix)
This French-style yeasted bread is traditionally prepared with wheat or whole wheat flour and coarsely chopped walnuts that are kneaded in the dough, while some varieties may also incorporate other nuts, typically coarsely chopped hazelnuts. It is usually shaped into plain or round loaves and is characterized by its dark brown crust and a light brown interior which is dotted with walnut kernels. For the best results, make sure to use whole wheat flour and the sweet and meaty French walnuts, if available.
The preparation methods and recipe for pain aux noix vary, depending on the region and the taste of the baker. Pain aux noix may be made with white flour, whole wheat flour, or a blend of flours, and some cooks add ingredients like rye or spelt flour to the bread to make it more interesting. In addition to the basic salt and water, the dough may also include oil, and sometimes a sweetener like honey, molasses, or sugar. As a general rule, the bread is only lightly sweetened, enhancing the flavor without becoming overwhelming.
The rising agent used in traditional pain aux noix is an old dough or sourdough starters. These starters develop a more complex flavor in the bread, as the result of slow, steady fermentation. While it is possible to use active dry yeast or fresh yeast in pain aux noix, some bakers feel that the flavor of this bread suffers without an old dough starter.
Traditionally, this French walnut bread is formed into the shape of a round or boule, and the top may be slashed to ensure that the bread expands evenly while it bakes. Some bakers like to add a glaze to their pain aux noix right before baking so that it develops a shiny crust, and enterprising cooks may braid the loaf or shape it into a ring for more visual interest.
There are all sorts of ways in which the basic recipe for pain aux noix can be altered, and bakers who make this bread often develop their own distinct version. For example, fruit can be added to the bread, or orange zest may be mixed into the dough to make the flavor more interesting. Eggs and milk may be used in the recipe to make the bread more rich, and if the pain aux noix is sweetened a bit more, it can turn into a very rich breakfast bread which tastes superb with butter and cinnamon.
Due to its rich and complex flavors, the bread pairs well with butter, soft cheeses, charcuterie, savory spreads, or sweet toppings such as honey or fruit jams.
Walnut Bread (Pain Aux Noisettes)
This recipe is adapted from The Bread Bible cookbook by Beth Hensperger. Instead of hazelnuts, you can use other kinds of nuts as well, the same method applies.
2 1/2 cups hazelnuts, roughly chopped skinned and lightly toasted (or other nuts)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup warm milk (or water, or unflavored soy milk for non-dairy)
1/2 cup walnut oil (or hazelnut oil)
2 1/2 tsp salt
about 3 cups all-purpose flour
Mix 1 1/4 cup of hazelnuts and a 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Mix well to coat the nuts completely. Grind to a rough (not flour-like) consistency in a food processor and set aside.
Dissolve yeast and a sprinkle of brown sugar in a 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Wait for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.
Take a large bowl and add to it the rest of the water, the milk, the oil, the sugar, and the salt. Stir to combine, then whisk in the yeast mixture.
Add the chopped hazelnuts and whole wheat flour mixture next.
Mix in the rest of the whole wheat flour and knead until a dough forms. Knead in the all-purpose flour, in 1/2 cup batches — the resulting dough should end up soft and elastic. It will be just slightly tacky, and will not stick to your fingers.
Continue kneading for 10 more minutes, then oil it and put it in a bowl, then cover and set it aside to rise for the next two hours.
Divide the dough into two halves, then shape them into rounds, tightening the surface as you shape it. Lightly coat the dough with oil then wrap them in cling film. Set them aside to rest for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the oven to preheat to 190°C (375°F).
Once, the balls of dough have rested, unwrap them, and, ideally, place them on a baking stone. If you do not have one, a parchment-lined baking tray will do.
Before you put them in the oven to bake, make 3-4 slashes on the surface of each and spray them with water.
Underneath the rack that the bread is placed upon, put a pan with boiling water, as it will evaporate as the bread bakes, and create steam.
Bake for 45 minutes.
10 servings
Walnut Bread (Pain aux Noix)
from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/
You are sure to find this kind of bread wherever there is an abundance of walnuts, like in some parts of Northern Italy and in the French region of Dordogne, among others. Nut bread is the simple translation of pain aux noix, one of France's delightful whole-grain loaves. This dark, tender bread is fairly simple to make, but the texture and flavor are complex: oven heat brings out the walnuts' flavor, as well as the deep, rich taste of whole wheat. Serve this bread, thinly sliced, with a nice goat cheese, Roquefort, or a Brie or Camembert with a cheese course. Hazelnuts can be substituted.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups (10 3/4 ounces) King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 cups (6 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon (3/8 ounce) brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/3 cups (10 3/4 ounces) warm milk
1 1/2 cups (5 3/4 ounces) chopped walnuts
Combine all of the ingredients except the nuts, and knead -- by hand, mixer, food processor or bread machine -- till smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise, covered, for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in bulk.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface and gently but thoroughly knead in the walnuts. This will seem like messy work at first (the nuts will keep falling out onto the work surface), but persevere -- eventually they'll stay where they belong.
Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a ball. Place the balls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and let them rise, covered, for 45 minutes, until they're quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Bake the bread in a preheated 425°F oven for about 25 to 27 minutes, until it's golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads approximately 190°F.
Remove the loaves from the oven, and cool them on a wire rack. Serve in thin slices with butter and/or cheese.
Yield: Two 6- to 7-inch loaves.
Nutrition information per serving (1/12 of 1 loaf, 45g): 145 cal, 6.8g fat, 4g protein, 17g complex carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 6mg cholesterol, 141mg sodium, 123mg potassium, 26RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 24mg calcium, 94mg phosphorus.
This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. XI, No. 6, Autumn 2000 issue.
