Walnut Honey Bread

Try using maple syrup instead of honey.

Can use olive oil instead of walnut.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet,
roasting until fragrant and golden brown, about eight minutes. Cool.

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Allow to proof for three
minutes.

Stir the sponge, honey and oil into the water, breaking the sponge up
using your hands or a spoon.

Add 2 3/4 cups of the flour and salt and mix, scraping and folding
until the dough gathers into a single mass. Knead, in the bowl, until
the dough becomes soft and only slightly sticky, using the additional
flour gradually as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the nuts
into the dough until they are evenly distributed.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate overnight.

Halve the dough and shape each piece into a ball and place on a
flour-dusted kitchen towel. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to
rise in a draft-free location for two hours.

Sprinkle a baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Gently press one of
the dough balls down on a lightly floured surface and then reshape
into a ball. Do the same with the other risen ball. Place both balls,
with the seams on the bottom, on the baking sheet, cover with plastic
wrap and allow to rise until doubled, in a draft-free location. This
should take 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven for at least thirty minutes along with a baking
stone or tiles on the middle rack to 425. Place a baking pan with
decent sides on the bottom shelf. Boil two cups of water. Using a
razor blade, make an ‘X’ in the top of each of the loaves. Pour the
boiling water into the baking pan. With a quick jerk, slide the
loaves off the sheet and onto the stone.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the loaves are hollow sounding when
tapped on the bottom. When done, cool on a rack.