Walnut Blue Wheat Bread

Blue cheese and walnuts are one of those pairings that just works, and baking them into a whole wheat bread takes it somewhere special. The blue cheese melts into pockets throughout the crumb, leaving tangy, salty bursts in every slice, while the toasted walnuts add crunch and a buttery richness.

This is a 100% whole wheat loaf, no white flour blended in, so expect a denser, nuttier bread with real substance. The walnuts go in at the beep (the bread machine’s add-in signal) so they stay in chunks rather than getting pulverized during the initial knead.

Sliced thick and served alongside a pear or a glass of red wine, this is the kind of bread that replaces a cheese course entirely.

Pro Tips

• Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before adding. Raw walnuts taste flat in bread, but toasted ones bring out their oils and flavor
• Use a strong, assertive blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola rather than a mild Danish blue. The flavor needs to hold its own against the whole wheat
• The dough will be stickier than white bread dough. That’s normal for 100% whole wheat
• This bread is fantastic toasted and spread with a little honey for a sweet-salty contrast

Variations

• Swap blue cheese for sharp cheddar and add rosemary for a more mellow loaf
• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a slightly sweeter, more Southern flavor
• Add dried figs or cranberries at the beep along with the walnuts for a fruit-and-nut version