Preparation

• Refresh the sourdough starter and let it double in volume.

  Meanwhile, shell the walnuts and toast them in a hot oven at 320°F for 12/15 minutes on the lowest rack, to toast and remove the outer skin. Chop them coarsely or, for a more delicate flavor, grind them into a powder using a blender.

  When the yeast has doubled in volume, place it in the bowl of a mixer or in a large, wide and shallow bowl, along with the sifted flours, walnuts, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of water.

  Start kneading coarsely; then add the remaining water a little at a time. The dough should be soft and easy to work with.

  Turn the dough out onto the worktable and knead until the dough no longer sticks to your hands or the worktable.

  Form it into a ball and let it rest on the worktable, already sprinkled with all-purpose flour or semolina (which I prefer because it helps to dry the doughs) under an overturned bowl, for one hour.

  After one hour, gently stretch the dough with your hands as if you were trying to make a rectangle, and give it folds as shown in the photos.

  Divide the loaf into 12 pieces of 3.5 oz each, and gently flatten them on the table with your hands, then roll them back up on themselves. You can shape your rolls into a spherical or cylindrical shape, depending on your taste and the moment’s creativity. Finally, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced 2 fingers apart.

  Score the surface with a cross cut and let them rise until doubled in size, covering them with another tray or a cloth. The rising times are purely indicative, as the ambient temperature and the strength of the sourdough will make a difference. In my case, the final rise lasted all night, about 12 hours, because the temperature in the house was quite low.

  When the rolls have increased in volume, turn on the oven to the highest temperature and place a pot with already boiling water inside.

  Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the tray on the middle rack and remove the pot.

  Bake at the highest temperature for the first 5 minutes, then lower it to 390°F and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes approximately.

  Try them hot with honey or with Nutella; or with salami or even with mortadella. They are simply amazing.

  The whole wheat walnut rolls with sourdough, once baked and cooled, can be stored in the freezer to always have them on hand; or we can keep them for a few days in food bags.

  If you like the taste and aroma of whole wheat flour, on the blog, besides different types of bread and rolls, whole wheat flatbreads, fresh pasta, you will find other both sweet and savory recipes using this type of flour, like the amaretti and ricotta cake, whole wheat sandwich bread, walnut and chocolate cake and much more.