26 | March | 2011 | Bewitching Kitchen

The goal: to make a sourdough bread loaded – and I mean loaded – with nuts, a crumb not as open as my usual loaves, to enjoy with an assortment of cheeses, from French Brie to Italian Gorgonzola, passing by Spain with its awesome Manchego. My starting point was a recipe from Maggie Glezer’s Artisan Baking, adapted to include whole pistachios, and small pieces of walnuts. I wanted the pistachios to be the main textural component in the bread, and the walnuts to impart mainly their flavor throughout the crumb. According to my dear husband, I hit the jackpot with this bread, he absolutely loved it. It reminded us of a bread we used to buy in a street market in Paris on Saturdays, except for the fact that the French version included a lot of sunflower seeds. Now, that’s an interesting idea for a future baking adventure… 😉

PISTACHIO-WALNUT SOURDOUGH BREAD
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

Levain (you will use only half of it):
1 Tbs firm sourdough starter
45 g warm water
75 g bread flour

Dough:
300 g bread flour
25 g rye flour
25 g whole wheat flour
228 g warm water
8 g salt
80 g walnuts, lightly toasted, in small dice
50 g whole pistachios, roasted

Make the levain by mixing all the ingredients and kneading lightly to form a smooth dough. Keep at room temperature for about 12 hours (it should at least triple in size).

Make the dough by combining the three types of flour with the water. Cover and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. Add the salt and the levain (half of it only!) and knead a few times until it forms a shaggy mass. Add the nuts and knead briefly to incorporate them. Let it rest for 30 minutes, knead for about 10-20 seconds, and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes. Knead (or fold) a few times, and let the dough rest for 1 hour. Knead (or fold) a few times, and let it rise undisturbed for 2 hours.

Pre-shape the dough as a round ball, let it rest for 15 minutes, then shape it in its final form, placing it in a banetton or another appropriate, well floured container, with the seam side up. Cover and let it rise for 3 hours. Invert the dough on parchment paper, slash the surface, place on a baking stone on a 425 F oven, covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until dark brown and the internal temperature is at least 205 F.

Let the loaf cool over a rack before cutting.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Making this bread was a labor of love, because I shelled the pistachios myself. My finger tips had quite a workout, so next time I will buy shelled pistachios to make life a little easier, and I advise you to do the same. At any rate, this bread is a nut-lover’s paradise. The pistachios shine like little jewels, and the walnuts become almost sweet during baking. I could not be happier with it, as it turned out exactly as I hoped. Plus, it was another successful performance by our Breville toaster oven!

Who could resist having a second slice? 😉