I get lots of chestnut and hazelnut seedlings each spring under the trees where I missed nuts when I was collecting. They seem to enjoy sprouting on the surface with a haphazard covering of leaves. So, if I were to mimic that I'd fill pots or bags with some good topsoil or
compost, put the nuts on top in the autumn, cover with some leaves and keep them outdoors. The winter chilling (stratification) is important to break dormancy in seeds of many temperate-climate trees.