The currants in this tasty country loaf give it a mildly sweet flavor, a nice counterpoint to the pecan meal and walnuts.

Overnight Starter
2 cups King Arthur European-Style Artisan Bread Flour
1/8 teaspoon pain de campagne starter
1 cup water

Dough
all of the overnight starter (above)
2 1/2 cups King Arthur European-Style Artisan Bread Flour
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup potato flour OR 1/2 cup potato flakes
3 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder OR 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup pecan meal or ground pecans
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 1/8 cups water
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup currants

Overnight Starter: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, pain de campagne starter, and water, mixing just to blend. Cover and let rest overnight, or from 8 to 16 hours.

Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the chopped nuts and currants, and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till you've made a soft, smooth dough. When the dough is almost fully developed, knead in the nuts and currants. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a round loaf. Allow the loaves to rise, covered, for about 1 hour, or until puffy.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the loaves test done; the interior temperature will register 190°F to 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.