Simple Rustic Bread With Walnuts

Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
• 2 cups warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups bread flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup of warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
• 2 stir to dissolve yeast.
• 3 add remaining 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, salt and bread flour.
• 4 mix at low speed until flour is thoroughly incorporated.
• 5 note: dough will be sticky, not smooth.
• 6 place dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil.
• 7 cover loosely with a towel and set in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• 8 punch dough down.
• 9 transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, add walnuts, and knead lightly to eliminate air .
• 10 cut dough into 2 pieces.
• 11 with floured hands, shape each piece into a 12-inch log.
• 12 place logs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet a few inches apart and cover loosely with a towel.
• 13 let rise for 30 minutes.
• 14 meanwhile place pizza stone on lowest rack in oven.
• 15 when dough begins last rise, preheat oven to 400.
• 16 pull the parchment paper off the baking sheet and transfer to the pizza stone.
• 17 (or just bake on the baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone.) bake bread for about 40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped.
• 18 cool on a rack.