Description: Tom Bombadil and Goldberry served the four hobbits white breads, nuts, honey and cream for their supper. Why not mix it all into one delicious recipe? Oat bran adds a richness while keeping it as light as white flour, the wild honey gives this recipe an Old Forest feel, and the nuts add interest.

Submitted by: Anorwen_Niphredil on 2004-06-21 07:50:20

Serves: yields 6 mini loaves

Prep Time: about 6 ½ hours (sponge sits overnight)

Difficulty: Intermediate

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Ingredients

Sponge
¾ cup water (75°F)
½ tsp dry yeast
1 ¼ cup white flour
Dough
4 cups mixed nuts
¼ cup milk (75°F)
1 ½ cups water (75°F)
1/3 cup wild honey
½ tsp dry yeast
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 ½ cups oat bran flour


Instructions

1. To make sponge: Combine water and yeast. Let stand one minute. Stir until dissolved. Add the flour and stir until strands of gluten come off the spoon when you press it against the side of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover and put in a warm place overnight.
2. Toast nuts on a cookie sheet in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't burn. Place nuts in the refrigerator and cool completely. When cooled, finely chop about 1 cup of the nuts. Break up the remaining nuts into pieces and set aside.
3. To make dough: Measure out the remaining ingredients. Check the sponge; if it is puffy and bubbling, it is time to make the bread!
Scrape the sponge into a sizeable bowl, about 6-quart size should do. Add the milk and water and yeast to your sponge, break it up either with a spoon or your hand, and stir until the mixture begins foaming. Add 5 cups of the flour, honey and the 1 cup finely chopped nuts, stir to combine. Add the salt and e4nough of the remaining flour that the dough becomes difficult to stir.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, gradually adding the remaining flour in the process. You only want enough that, when kneaded, you have a smooth, solid piece of dough, and not a hard lump. Continue kneading until the a small amount springs back quickly when you pull it away from the dough.
4. Grease the bowl you intend the let the dough rise in. Place your dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until it has doubled in volume.
5. Deflate the dough, and then transfer it to a work surface you have lightly floured; knead the dough briefly. Place it in the bowl and let it rise once more.
6. Now for the final rising. Once more, deflate your dough, knead, and cut it into six equal-sized pieces. The best way for you to tell if they are equal is to weigh them on a kitchen scale. Shape each piece into round loaves like you would for dinner rolls. Place them on a lightly greased baking pan, cover with a warm, damp, lightly floured towel. Put in a warm place and let rise until about 1 ½ times what is now.
7. Preheat your oven to 450°F—make sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Place your round loaves in the oven. If you enjoy crustier loaves, spray the walls and floor of the oven with cold water to create steam, just be sure you don't spray the light bulb if your oven is electric! Bake until the loaves begin to change color, between 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400°F and bake another 10-15 minutes. You know your loaves are done if it makes a hollow thumping sound when you flick the bottom with your finger.
8. Cool, and enjoy spread with honey butter and a tall glass of milk.