Bake

Whole Wheat Walnut Bread with Whipped Thyme Butter

October 30, 2024
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Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 2 loaves
Author Notes

A dinner roll is often the most obvious choice when planning the Thanksgiving feast, but if you’re looking to change it up this year and want something a little heartier, this whole wheat walnut bread works great.

It’s made with a mix of bread flour and whole wheat, along with a little honey for sweetness. I roll each loaf up with lots of chopped walnuts before baking, then serve it with a whipped salted honey and thyme butter. The butter is optional of course, but definitely worth it seeing as it only takes an extra few minutes. As long as you knead it properly, the texture is ultra soft and feathery. The recipe makes two loaves, so it’s perfect for larger groups, or if you want to save one for leftover sandwiches.

Tips & Tricks:
• If using active dry yeast instead of instant , start by activating the yeast by warming the milk and water to 98ºF (no hotter as it will kill the yeast) and combining it in the bowl with the yeast, sugar, and honey. Stir, then set aside until the yeast starts to foam slightly, about 5 minutes.
• To perform the windowpane test, grab a small piece of dough and stretch it into a thin sheet between your hands. If you can easily stretch it so thin you can see light coming through, you’ve kneaded enough. If it breaks at all, keep kneading.
• If your kitchen is cold, make a fake proofing box in your oven by simply turning the oven light on and placing the bowl on the oven rack.
• To make ahead, allow the loaves to have their second rise in the fridge overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking as instructed.
Nea Arentzen

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Ingredients
  • DOUGH
  • 1 cup (227 grams) whole milk + 1 tablespoon for brushing
  • 1 cup (227 grams) tap water, lukewarm
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (14 grams/2 packets) instant yeast (see tip)
  • 1/4 cup (84 grams) honey
  • 1/4 cup (49 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (226 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 4 1/2 cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
  • 5 teaspoons (11 grams) Diamond kosher crystal salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • scant 3 cups (239 grams) walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup (28 grams) rolled oats, for garnish
  • HONEY-THYME BUTTER
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons (63 grams) honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • flakey sea salt
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk, water, yeast, honey, and sugar; give it a good stir, but you don’t have to wait for the sugar or yeast to dissolve. Add the whole wheat flour, all but ¼ cup of the all purpose flour (might not need all), salt, and melted butter.
  2. Knead on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl; if it looks too wet, add the remaining ¼ cup flour. Continue kneading until the dough feels tacky but not sticky, and is able to withstand the windowpane test, 10 to 15 minutes (if your mixer is old, you may have to knead longer). Kneading the dough until you can accurately do the windowpane test is crucial if you want the bread to come out soft and fluffy (see tip).
  3. Shape the dough into a circle with your hands, then place it back in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Plastic wrap over a towel will help prevent the top from drying out. Place the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen and let rise until at least doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour (see tip).
  4. Brush 2 (8x4-inch loaf pans) with neutral oil. Turn the dough onto a clean, unfloured work surface and divide the dough in half. If you have a kitchen scale, I’d recommend weighing the total first, then weighing each half to make sure they’re the same size. Eyeballing is also fine.
  5. Roll one dough ball into roughly a 8x12-inch rectangle, then sprinkle with ¼ of the chopped walnuts. Fold the far end of the dough over ⅔ of the way, then take the piece closest to you and fold it over the other two (like a tri folded pamphlet). Turn the dough 90º so the short end is parallel to you. Use the rolling pin to flatten it slightly, making sure the short end is at least 6-inches wide. Sprinkle with an additional ¼ of the walnuts, then roll up starting at the short end. Repeat with the remaining dough and walnuts.
  6. Transfer the loaves to the prepared loaf pans, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until nearly doubled in size, another 30 to 45 minutes. Check to make sure it’s fully proofed by poking it; if the dough springs back immediately, it’s not done proving. If it stays dented or comes back slowly halfway, it’s ready to go in the oven.
  7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC with a rack in the lower third. Brush the loaves with milk and sprinkle with oats. Bake until golden brown on top and a kitchen thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 190ºF/87ºC, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  8. To make the butter, in a medium bowl, whip together the butter, honey, and thyme. Season with flakey sea salt.
  9. Serve the bread with whipped honey-thyme butter on the side.

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Recipe by: Nea Arentzen

Test Kitchen Content Creator & Recipe Developer at Food52

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