Walnut Bread Recipe

Bloom the yeast

Pour the warm water into a small bowl. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the active dry yeast over the surface. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't foam, the yeast may be inactive—start over with fresh yeast.

In a separate measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg, and optional honey until combined. Let cool if the butter is too hot (should be warm, not hot) before adding to flour.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the foamy yeast mixture and the milk-butter-egg mixture.

Stir with a wooden spoon or a dough hook on low speed until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough. If dough is excessively sticky, add up to 2 tablespoons more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add up to 1–2 tablespoons water.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, or knead with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on medium-low for 6–8 minutes.

During the last 2 minutes of kneading, sprinkle in the toasted chopped walnuts and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed. Reserve a small handful (about 1–2 tbsp) of walnuts for sprinkling on top if desired.

Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, turn to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1¼ hours.

Punch down the risen dough to release gas. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a loaf: flatten gently into a rectangle roughly 9x12 inches, then roll up tightly from the short side to form a seam. Pinch the seam closed and tuck the ends under to create a smooth loaf.

Place the shaped loaf seam-side down into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan (or shape into a freeform oval for a hearth loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet). Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 40–50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) about 15 minutes before baking so it holds temperature. If using an egg wash, brush the top of the loaf lightly with the beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle reserved walnuts or a pinch of coarse sea salt on top if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 190–200°F (88–93°C). If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and let sit in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing to ensure the crumb sets and slices cleanly.