Description
This Thanksgiving Cranberry Walnut Bread is a delightful no-knead artisan loaf that combines tart dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and zesty orange flavor. Baked in a Dutch oven for a perfect crust, this bread is fluffy inside with a beautiful golden-brown exterior, making it an ideal festive treat or accompaniment for holiday meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Dry Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 3 cups bread flour, plus 2 tablespoons (plus more for dusting)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup dried walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast mixture: Dissolve the active dry yeast and granulated sugar in 1 ½ cups of warm water (110 to 115°F). Let it sit for 10 minutes or until it becomes foamy. If it doesn’t foam, discard and start over to ensure yeast is active.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the bread flour with the Kosher salt to evenly distribute the salt throughout the flour.
- Mix dough: Add the yeast mixture and honey to the dry ingredients. Stir until no pockets of flour remain, avoiding over-mixing. Then fold in dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and orange zest until just combined. The dough will be very sticky and wet, which is expected.
- First rise: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, ensuring it doesn’t touch the dough, and let it rest on your countertop at room temperature for 18 hours. This long fermentation allows the dough to develop flavor and texture.
- Shape the dough: After 18 hours, the dough will be very sticky and wet. Transfer it carefully to a well-floured surface and coat it with flour. Gently fold the edges toward the center to form a ball, being careful not to deflate the trapped air pockets. Flip smooth side up and reshape if necessary. Place it on a lightly floured parchment paper.
- Second rise: Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to puff slightly.
- Preheat Dutch oven: Meanwhile, place a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven with the lid inside your oven and preheat to 450°F for 30 minutes to ensure it’s thoroughly hot.
- Score the dough: Using a sharp knife or razor blade, score an X or decorative pattern on the surface of the dough to allow controlled expansion during baking.
- Bake covered: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Using the parchment paper, lift and transfer the dough into the hot pot. Cover tightly with the lid and bake for 30 minutes without opening to trap steam and encourage a crisp crust.
- Bake uncovered: Remove the lid and continue baking for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and serve: Lift the bread out using the parchment paper and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to finish the cooking process and avoid gummy texture. Enjoy your festive cranberry walnut bread!
Notes
- Allow the dough to rise for a full 18 hours to develop the best flavor and texture. A minimum of 12 hours can work but may be less flavorful and dense.
- The sticky, wet dough consistency is intentional and necessary for steam formation inside the Dutch oven, resulting in a beautiful crust.
- A Dutch oven is essential for this recipe; it traps steam to create the perfect crust while baking.
- Store bread in a semi-open paper bag to maintain a crusty exterior, similar to bakery storage methods.
- For freezing, wrap the bread in aluminum foil then place inside a freezer-safe resealable bag. It will keep up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12th of loaf)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 4.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
