Cranberry Walnut Bread
This lightly sweetened Cranberry Walnut Bread is perfectly infused with tart cranberries and cozy spices... and is just nutty enough to remind you of that crazy relative you haven't seen in ages. But there's no knead to work up a sweat, because only 15 minutes of actual hands on time are required, and no kneading!
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour + more for Dusting (Unbleached, organic, or bread flour can be substituted)
- 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
- 2 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar packed
- 2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 3/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries not fresh or frozen, raisins can be substituted.
- 2/3 cup Chopped Walnuts pecans can be substituted.
- 2 tsp. Grated Orange Zest
- 1 1/2 cups Warm Water (approx. 100 degrees)
- 1/2 tsp. Cornmeal
Instructions
- Gather your cranberry walnut bread ingredients
- Carefully measure 3 cups of Flour by spooning into a measuring cup, and leveling off with a knife, and place flour in a large glass mixing bowl.
- Add to Flour in bowl: Yeast, Brown Sugar, Salt, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, and whisk until well combined.
- Then add Cranberries, Walnuts and Orange Zest to flour mixture, and stir well with a large wooden spoon.
- Pour in 1 1/2 cups Warm Water, and continue stirring until wet, shaggy dough forms. Note: If dough is too wet, add a little more flour; If dough is too dry, add just a LITTLE more water (1 tsp. at a time), until it turns into a wet, shaggy dough when stirring.
- Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm spot of your home (around 75 – 80 degrees), and allow to rise for approx. 18 hours. There should be small bubbles that form on the top and sides.
- After 18 hours, cut rectangular piece of parchment paper to fit inside bottom and sides of 5.5 quart – 6 quart dutch oven, place paper in dutch oven, and firmly press creases along the sides. (This will help the paper not indent into your bread while baking.)
- Then remove parchment paper from dutch oven, sprinkle cornmeal in a circle in the center, and set aside.
- Sprinkle clean countertop or cutting board with flour and carefully remove dough from bowl using a small plastic dough scraper or rubber spatula, place onto counter or cutting board, and sprinkle dough with a little more flour.
- Using well floured hands, fold dough over a few times, then quickly shape into round ball with your hands. You’ll sort of stretch the dough from the top and fold the excess underneath a few times. A bench scraper can help with the shaping and tucking as well.
- With well floured hands (and a floured bench scraper if you have one) carefully pick up dough ball and place down on top of cornmeal on the parchment paper. If it lost its shape a bit during the move, just quickly touch up the shape to round it back out.
- Lightly cover with plastic wrap, and allow dough to rise for 30 more minutes at room temperature.
- While dough is rising, place dutch oven with lid on inside oven, then preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- After 30 minutes, once the dough has finished rising, use a serrated knife or bread lame to cut two intersecting lines in the top of the dough, like a plus sign. This will give the finished crust a beautiful look, and allow the bread to expand a bit when baking.
- Remove dutch oven from oven (it will be HOT!), remove lid, and carefully pick up parchment paper with dough and transfer to dutch oven without touching the dutch oven. Place lid back on, and return to oven.
- Bake cranberry walnut bread for 35 minutes covered, then remove lid and bake for additional 7 – 10 minutes uncovered, until crust is golden brown.
- Remove dutch oven from your oven once bread is done baking, and lift parchment paper out of dutch oven to remove the bread.
- Transfer bread to wire cooling rack, and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing. This will help prevent a gummy center, because the bread continues to bake a bit as it cools.
- Once your bread has cooled, slice up some pieces, then generously slather your slices with your favorite flavored butter.
Notes
- Countertop Storage Tips: There is no need to refrigerate cranberry walnut bread, and it’s actually best when kept wrapped up at room temperature. To store, simply allow your bread to completely cool. Then cover in plastic wrap or foil, and store at room temperature up to 3 days.
- Freezer Storage Tips: Or, you can wrap the unsliced loaf in plastic wrap, wrap again in foil, and place in a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- FAQ’s: For answers to Frequently Asked Questions or tips for common substitutions and variations, please refer to the detailed information above this recipe card.
