1. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour) and let sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to "get going" (I added a teaspoon of honey to this, as well). Stir in (the rest of) the honey, the oil, and the salt. Add the flour, a cup at a time, until the dough has formed a shaggy mass (I mixed everything up in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment).

2. 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 an additional tablespoon of oil; turn the dough to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in bulk; this will take about 1 1/2 hours.

3. 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 oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina flour. Cover the loaves with damp towels and let rise until swollen. This will take 30-45 minutes.

4. 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.

5. 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.