Walnut and apricot bread

This is the perfect bread to have with a cheese board, so making this was an excuse to go to the local deli to buy some fancy cheeses :D

Of course, this bread is very nice for breakfast, especially with apricot jam!



Makes 1 loaf

500g wholemeal bread flour
40g butter (or even better, walnut oil if you have some!)
1 tsp salt
2-3 TBSP chopped semi-dried apricots
2-3 TBSP chopped walnuts
5g dried yeast
250ml warm water

1. Mix all the dried ingredients except the yeast in a large bowl. Make a well. Add the butter. Sprinkle with the yeast.

2. Pour over the water, mixing a the same time with a wooden spoon. When it is too hard to mix with the spoon, use your hand and knead well until the dough is soft and not sticky.

3. Place in a loaf tin/form and leave to rise until it doubles in size.

4. Bake in a preaheated oven (200C) for 25 minutes.

5. If you want a thick crust, leave to cool down uncovered. For a thin crust, remove from the form and roll in a clean kitchen towel. Leave to cool down on a cooling rack.


I cannot remember the names of the cheeses I bought apart from Taleggio (bottom left), which is very creamy and mild in taste. The receipt from the shop does not say what they are, it just gives the price/kg. The cheese on the bottom right is from the UK, and is semi-creamy in texture, a bit like St-Paulin with some charcoal powder in the middle (that's what the label said in the shop, and still, I bought it!). The one on the top is from the French Alps and is similar in taste and texture to Gruyere. They were all very nice.