As much as we love to eat most foods, including fatty meats and desserts, there is always in the back of our minds the fact that we should be making healthier choices. David has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Most of the meals that I cook are pretty healthy; lots of interesting salads and fish or poultry dishes. But David decided to get really serious about eliminating carbs like white rice, pastas, breads, and potatoes. I did a little research on bread flours to see if there was a way to make a bread that we could substitute for even the healthy whole wheat bread that we normally eat. It turns out that buckwheat is a healthy alternative for people with diabetes. Nuts and seeds are also recommended for a healthy diet. 
While eating breakfast this morning, I was looking at a few of my newer cookbooks. I pulled Katie Quinn Davies What Katie Ate On The Weekend from the shelf and found her recipe for Walnut Bread. It had everything that I was looking for in a healthy yeast bread. It took me just a half of an hour to throw all of the ingredients together and process the dough in my KitchenAid. After two hours of rising, it was ready for the oven.
As it baked, David said “You are killing me”. The smell was amazing and he assumed that I was just cooking it for the blog (My second child, my the way). When I told him that it was really good for him, he reluctantly tasted the still warm bread. I did not smear the amount of butter on it that you see here, but even with just a flick of butter it was delicious. This bread is moist, nutty and just darn good. Not only does it include buckwheat flour, but it also has lots of walnuts, wheat germ, chia seeds and hemp hearts (my addition). He will be eating it in moderation and I will try to do the same, but I have to say that it is one of those breads that will make you sit up and take notice.
Enjoy!
BUCKWHEAT WALNUT BREAD ( What Katie Ate on the Weekend by Katie Quinn Davies )
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons active dried yeast
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup buckwheat flour, sifted
2 1/2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chia seeds, divided
2 tablespoons hemp hearts (my addition, optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Makes 2 small loaves
Combine the sugar, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl or bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer. Leave to stand for 10-12 minutes until frothy. Stir in the oil and another 2/3 cup lukewarm water, then add the flours, wheat germ, walnuts, half of the chia seeds, hemp hearts and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine or using dough hook of mixer blend together. Either turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes or mix in stand mixer for 5 minutes. Place in a clean greased bowl, set in a warm place and let rise for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and sprinkle flour over a large baking sheet.
Turn the dough out onto a clean floured countertop and knead once or twice to knock out the air. Divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place on the prepared sheet, then cut three evenly spaced, 1/2 inch deep slashes on an angle across each loaf. Brush the tops with melted butter and scatter over the remaining chia seeds.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and the bases sound hollow when tapped.