Miso Walnut Bread

For GBBO series 1 biscuit week, I made the almond cookies (elsewhere on this site) by the pastry-blender method, and prepared them as icebox cookies. I put in orange zest and dried cherries.  They were good, but they were not an improvement on the original. I didn't expect them to be an improvement-- I think almond cookies are perfect already-- but I was disappointed nevertheless. They were just too sugary. I'd like to try it again, perhaps with just the orange zest and sliced thinner to crisp up. Or maybe with toasted coconut and dark chocolate? Chopped almonds or pistachios? 

The third week was bread week, and the inspriation that came to my brain was "miso walnut." I based my recipe off of a FloFab recipe with Julia Thiel's advice for miso incorporation. And this time, I was satisfied-- the bread smells and taste parmesany and nutty. Yum!

2 1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted, cooled.

2 t (7 g or 1 packet) active dry yeast

2 t salt (I actually don't remember. Did I do a T?)

2 T miso (I used yellow)

3 T (45 ml) maple syrup (I used grade B)

2 T (60 ml) sesame oil

extra veg oil for later

2 c (250 g) whole wheat flour

3 c (375 g) bread flour

Coarse cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet

Yeast in large mixing bowl. Mix salt and miso into 2 c lukewarm water. Stir into yeast. Stir in maple syrup and 2 T oil.

Measure 1 c of the toasted walnuts. Process with 2 T of whole wheat flour until finely ground. Add to bowl along with remaining whole-wheat flour. Stir.

Add bread flour ½ c at a time until dough forms and leaves the sides of the bowl. (You can mix w your hands now). Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Continue adding bread flour, kneading as you go, until you have a dough that’s a bit on the soft side, only slightly sticky, and easy to handle.

Clean out your bowl, coat it with 1 T oil, and place dough back into the bowl, turning it so it’s oiled all over. Cover w a cloth and set aside for a leisurely proof.

Punch down, add remaining toasted walnuts, and lightly knead them into the dough. Dust baking sheets w cornmeal. Divide the dough in half, shape into 2 balls and place on the baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise for an hour.

Place the oven rack in the lowest position and heat to 375-400-425. Slash the tops of breads with a razor. Don’t be tentative! Slash ½ inch deep.

Place in oven. Throw a handful of ice cubes on the floor of the oven to create steam. Bake 20 min. By this time the breads should be a nice honey-brown. Brush them with remaining 1 T oil, reduce heat to 350, add more ice cubes and bake about 30-35 min longer, until well browned and hollow sounding.