Walnut Fougasse

This is a lovely bread, enriched with walnut oil and studded with additional walnuts, it pairs well with soft cheese and fruit.

I did use the optional gappe, the toasted milk solids left over from making brown butter. Tthe walnuts, oil and gappe all contributed to a very rich and flavorful bread. It also has a nice toasty flavor from the crust- there's a lot of surface area created by the lattice shape.

This bread does undergo three and a half rises, so it's best to find a warm spot to proof it, 80-85F or so would be about perfect.

Because of the large surface area, I think this bread is best eaten the day it's baked. The recipe says the bread improves after sitting for 6-18 hrs, but mine was drier after that time (I covered it loosely).

Can't wait to make french toast with the leftovers!