Pecan and Honey Bread

This is a robust, tasty bread which is absolutely perfect with pretty much any cheese.  Quite a claim I know...but really, the crunchy pecans and seeds coupled with a touch of delicate sweetness from the honey make a heavenly marriage with soft, ripe Brie, tangy Stilton or some salty feta.  Cheese aside, this wonderful little loaf is also great with thickly sliced ham and chutney or just toasted and scoffed with lashings of butter!
I like using a ready seeded or mixed grain bread flour for this, my current favourite is one from Wessex Mill.

 

Ingredients

350g Mixed Grain or Mixed Seed Bread Flour

Half a teaspoon Salt

200ml Warm Water

1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil

3 tablespoons Honey

1 sachet (7g) Fast Action Dried Yeast

75g Pecan Nuts, roughly chopped

• Mix the salt into the flour in a large mixing bowl.
• In a measuring jug mix 2 tablespoons of the honey with the warm water and oil until the honey is dissolved.  Add the yeast and stir.
• Pour the liquid into the flour bowl and mix with a fork until a dough forms.  Take the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface.
• Knead the dough by stretching and working it for about 10 minutes, it will be quite sticky and messy but try not to add too much flour.  Knead it until it feels more manageable and stretchy, form it into a ball and put it into a floured bowl.  Leave to rise for at least at hour until the dough has doubled in size.
• While the dough is proving, toast the nuts in a dry frying pan until lightly toasted.  Tip them into a bowl and, while they are still hot, stir in 1 tablespoon of honey to coat all the nuts.  Set aside to cool until needed.
• When your dough is fully risen knock it down in the bowl and take it out onto the lightly floured surface again.
• Flatten the dough out a bit and tip the honeyed pecan nuts onto it.  Fold the dough over the nuts then knead for a few minutes to incorporate the nuts.  You can reserve a few to strew on the top if you like, they can burn a bit though.
• Shape the dough into a sausage then roll it with your hands to lengthen, you should also be able to pick it up by the ends and swing it slightly to stretch it out.  When your dough 'sausage' is about 45-50cm long transfer it onto a floured baking tray and loop into a circle, squashing the ends together.
• Set aside to rise again for about 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 220C.
• Once the dough has risen for the second time, bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until risen, craggy and deep golden brown.