La Fouace aux Noix (Bread)

• 1 envelope yeast
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups unbleached white flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbs. salt
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, mix the flours with the salt, make a well in the center, and add the yeast. Add the milk and stir well to make a spongy dough. Mix in the nuts and butter with a hard rubber spatula or your hands. The dough should be stiff. Cover with a damp towel and set in a draft-free area to rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead for 3 to 5 minutes, then form into a ball. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal, place the loaf on it, and let rise for 15 minutes, then turn the oven on to 425 degrees. When the oven is hot, slash a cross in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife. Put a pan of hot water on the lowest shelf of the oven, and the bread on the middle shelf. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the water and turn the oven down to 300 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more.