Sourdough Maple Walnut Bread

This bread machine loaf is all about warm, autumnal flavors meeting sourdough tang.

Walnut oil gives the crumb a rich, nutty depth you won’t get from regular butter or vegetable oil, while real maple syrup adds a caramelized sweetness that pairs naturally with the cinnamon and whole wheat flour.

The sourdough starter is added to taste, so you control how much tang makes it into the final loaf.

It’s a dump-and-press-start situation. Everything goes into the bread machine, you hit the button, and walk away.

Kitchen Tips

• Walnut oil is the star here. Don’t substitute with canola or vegetable oil, or you lose that toasty walnut flavor entirely.
• Add the sourdough starter last and adjust the amount based on how tangy you want the bread. Start with a quarter cup and go from there.
• Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The flavor difference in baked goods is night and day.
• A quarter cup of cinnamon is bold. If you prefer a subtler spice, scale it back to 2 tablespoons.