It’s the day after Thanksgiving (or in our house, a few hours after Thanksgiving dinner), and thoughts turn to overstuffed turkey sandwiches. We like to pile on the turkey, stuffing, relish, and mashed potatoes; the sauce from the creamed onions adds delectable richness and calories. You can mix equal quantities of leftover cranberry relish and mayonnaise to make a pretty and delicious sandwich spread.

After all the hedonism of the day before, you have to ease your body back to normal eating habits gradually! This sandwich demands a sturdy bread that won’t fall apart when loaded with three inches of filling -- our walnut bread is perfect. It also makes terrific toast for breakfast; we enjoy it slathered with butter and honey.

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup walnut or olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups (approx.) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
8 oz. walnut pieces, toasted until lightly browned

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and let sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to get going. Stir in the honey, oil, and salt. Add the flour, a cup at a time, until the dough has formed a shaggy mass.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough, adding flour as necessary, to form a smooth and satiny ball. Put the dough into a bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil; turn the dough to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in bulk; this will take about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and knead in the walnuts. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet that has been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina flour. Cover the loaves with damp towels and let rise until swollen. This will take 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Be sure that the oven temperature is correct; the loaves will burn if the oven is too hot. Sprinkle flour on top of the loaves, and use a serrated knife to slash a cross in the top of each loaf about 1" deep.

Bake the loaves for 35-45 minutes, until they are well browned and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom; their internal temperature will measure 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Put the loaves on a rack to cool, and let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Yield: 2 loaves.

Nutrition information per serving (1 wedge, when each loaf is cut into 10 wedges, 78 g): 244 cal, 9 g fat, 5 g protein, 28 g complex carbohydrates, 7 g sugar, 2 g dietary fiber, 162 mg sodium, 110 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 73 mg calcium, 71 mg phosphorus

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. III, No. 9, November 1992 issue.