Hazelnut Bread

Hazelnut Bread is a delightful and flavorful bread that showcases the subtle richness of hazelnuts. With its combination of rye sourdough starter, wheat flour, spelt flour, and fine rye flour, this bread offers a unique and satisfying taste experience.

Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS:

BREAD:

• 2 cups (500 ml) water, room temperature
• 16 oz (450 g) rye sourdough starter
• 3¾ cups (450 g) wheat flour
• 2¼ cups (225 g) spelt flour, sifted
• 2¼ cups (225 g) fine rye flour
• 1½ tbsp (25 g) salt
• 2½ cups (350 g) whole hazelnuts
• Olive oil for the bowl

RYE SOURDOUGH:

• ¾ cup (200 ml) water, room temperature
• 2 cups (200 g) finely ground rye flour
• ½ cup (100 g) grated apple, peeled

INSTRUCTIONS:

RYE SOURDOUGH:

1. Combine the ingredients and let stand for 2–4 days in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in the mornings and evenings.
2. The starter is ready when the mixture starts to bubble. From this point on, all you have to do is “feed” the dough so that it retains its flavor and ability to ferment. If you leave the sourdough in the refrigerator, you should feed it once a week with ½ cup (100 ml) water and 1 cup (100 g) wheat flour. If you keep the sourdough at room temperature, it should be fed every day, in the same manner. The consistency should resemble thick porridge.
3. If you have sourdough left over, you can freeze it in containers that hold half a cup or leave a part of it to dry.

BREAD:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, rye sourdough starter, wheat flour, spelt flour, and fine rye flour. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated and a dough forms.
2. Knead the dough thoroughly to develop its gluten structure and create a smooth and elastic texture.
3. Add the salt and whole hazelnuts to the dough. Continue kneading to evenly distribute the salt and nuts throughout the dough.
4. Coat a plastic mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it with a clean cloth and let it rise for about 3 hours. During this time, the dough will rise and develop its flavors.
5. Preheat the oven to 525°F (270°C).
6. After the rising time, separate the dough into 2 portions and shape them into loaves. Place the shaped loaves on a greased baking sheet and let them rise for another hour to increase in size.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and carefully place the loaves in the oven.
8. Bake the loaves for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
9. Once baked, remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

The Hazelnut Bread is perfect for enjoying on its own, as a sandwich bread, or alongside soups and stews. The addition of hazelnuts brings a delightful nutty flavor and texture to each bite, making this bread a treat for the senses.