I thought this would be just like the walnut fougasse that I made months ago, with the addition of onions. But it's a totally different bread. It's crusty, but very light, with a fine crumb. I'd kept the walnut oil that I bought for the fougasse in the refrigerator, and it was still good. (Rose warns that walnut oil turns rancid in minutes if it's not refrigerated). The baking onions and walnuts make it smell wonderfully good while it's baking.
You are supposed to bake this bread in a long, rather than a round, LaCloche. But I only have one LaCloche, so my bread is round instead of torpedo-shaped. Although I'm trying to follow the directions exactly, I figured that the shape change wouldn't make a huge difference in the final product. The onions and walnuts may not get mixed as well in a round loaf, but it was good enough.
We invited some neighbors over for bread, cheese, wine and grapes, and they were suitably impressed with the bread. I did learn that I should never let Jim cut bread, even with a serrated knife. He put all of his weight on this delicate loaf of bread while he was slicing it, and the beautiful crumb was squished. Fortunately, I'd already been able to eat my fill before it turned into a dough ball. (Because it is just all about me).
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