Wholewheat Walnut Bread

Success! I thought "oven spring" was a myth. Something that I could never achieve in my home oven. Time and time again that I slashed my bread before going into the oven, the bread came out without expanding, blooming slash marks like bakery bread.

But look!



Ha ha! That was the most beautiful and delicious loaf of bread I have ever baked. My heart filled with joy as if I just gave birth to a beautiful perfect baby. Not that I have ever given birth or that I would ever eat my baby.


Closeup!

Here's what was different: I invested in a cast iron dutch oven. Preheated it in a 450 degrees oven for 40 minutes. Baked the bread with its cover for the first 30 minutes in 400 degrees oven (yes - the plastic knob broke.)



I used Peter Reinhart's wholewheat sandwich bread formula with wild yeast starter plus 6 oz of walnuts added during kneading before the first proofing. Anybody who wants to bake perfect 100% wholewheat bread, please get this book.

PS. My two subsequent attempts failed to repeat the blooming. Hmmmmph.... Knead harder.