Crusty Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread

August 28, 2024

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Yeasted bread has by no means been simpler. This straightforward technique produces probably the most lovely and crusty cranberry nut no-knead bread with little or no hands-on work! Should you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Information for solutions to frequent yeast FAQs.

I initially revealed this recipe in 2017 and have since added new images and some extra success ideas.

cranberry nut bread slices with butter on plate and marble tray.

“Do-it-yourself bread” and “straightforward” are phrases that don’t usually go hand-in-hand. Once you consider home made bread, you assume tough, proper? This recipe, nonetheless, will fully change that thought. I notice that’s a reasonably large promise, however I’m assured your notion of home made bread will change from “nope! an excessive amount of work” to “wow, I CAN do that.”

One reader, Kris, commented: “This is a wonderful recipe—bread made straightforward. Scrumptious bites stuffed with taste from the cranberries and walnuts. Will preserve this ceaselessly. ★★★★★”

One other reader, Linda, commented: “This recipe is unbelievable. The bread had a beautiful crust and nice taste. The directions had been tremendous thorough at explaining all the things for a novice bread maker. ★★★★★”

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread:

Simply 7 easy components
Hardly any hands-on time
Number of textures: crispy crusty exterior, smooth and chewy inside, and loads of dried cranberries and nuts in each slice
An egg-free baking recipe and dairy-free recipe
Tastes unbelievable heat with a swipe of honey butter.

slices and round boule loaf of cranberry nut bread with honey butter on marble serving tray.

This bread, like my home made artisan bread, seeded oat bread, and olive bread, has all of the bells and whistles of a fresh-from-the-bakery cranberry nut bread, and takes little or no effort. If you’re new to working with yeast, or just feeling a little bit lazy, this recipe is for you.

Making this loaf will depart you loads of time to hang around. 😉

Simply 7 Elements for This Cranberry Nut Bread

You don’t want plenty of components to make home made bread, and also you would possibly already know that in the event you’ve tried this sandwich bread recipe. You solely want 7 components to make this bread:

Flour: Flour offers the bread its construction. You should utilize all-purpose or bread flour. I usually attain for bread flour as a result of it yields a barely chewier bread.
Salt: Decide up some coarse sea salt; I discover the flavour is missing with common desk salt.
Yeast: You should utilize prompt or energetic dry yeast, however I extremely advocate an prompt (aka “speedy rise” or “fast rise” yeast). I at all times use Platinum Yeast by Purple Star, which is an prompt yeast with dough improvers. You don’t want a lot right here—just one/2 teaspoon—due to the lengthy rise time.
Nuts: Walnuts or pecans—baker’s alternative!
Dried Cranberries: I like the chewy texture of dried cranberries right here. Don’t use recent or frozen cranberries, as a result of this dough is just too moist. Raisins would work too, or attempt chopping up dried apricots or dates.
Water: I usually encourage you to make use of heat liquid with yeast as a result of it helps the yeast work quicker. For this recipe, you need the water to be about 95ºF (35ºC), as a result of we’re encouraging a pleasant sluggish rise to construct taste. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.
Honey: Honey provides taste and helps give the bread its springy, sponge-like texture.

ingredients on wooden surface including flour, water, honey, salt, walnuts, and yeast.

By the way in which, in the event you get pleasure from honey in your home made bread, you’ll love this no-knead honey oat bread as a result of the flavour actually stands out. The method can be similar to right this moment’s straightforward bread recipe. And each breads are scrumptious heat or toasted and topped with this straightforward home made honey butter.

Overview: 5 Steps to Make No-Knead Bread

This no-work, no-knead, professional-bread-at-home idea originated with Jim Lahey of Sullivan Road Bakery in NYC. It’s all very primary components, however his technique is exclusive, which incorporates an 18-hour rise time. 18 hours?! Sure! Don’t be nervous, this 18 hours offers the dough an opportunity to ferment. And the fermentation time requires completely nothing from you. Simply set it in your counter and overlook about it till the subsequent day. We use this identical technique for home made English muffins. In each recipes, the magic occurs while you’re not trying!

Step 1: Stir components collectively. Don’t even get away your mixer.

This shall be an excellent sticky dough. Keep in mind, do NOT be tempted so as to add extra flour. It is going to persist with your arms. That’s nothing a fast wash can’t repair!

dry ingredients in bowl and shown again pouring honey and water in.

mixing flour and dough in glass bowl with blue spatula.

Step 2: Cowl the dough and ignore it.

Let the dough rise at room temperature for 12–18 hours. This recipe could be very forgiving. Any normal-ish room temperature is okay. You’ll know that the dough is completed rising when it has about doubled in dimension and air bubbles have fashioned on high. Like this:

bubbly cranberry nut dough in glass bowl.

Step 3: The dough will nonetheless be tremendous sticky after rising. That’s okay! Utilizing evenly floured arms, kind the sticky dough right into a ball and place on a big piece of parchment paper. Rating the highest with a pointy knife, kitchen shears, or bread lame, then enable to relaxation for half-hour.

hands shaping cranberry walnut bread dough.

Step 4: Preheat a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. You’ll bake the bread in a pre-heated (super-hot!) Dutch oven, which helps kind a crusty exterior. Should you don’t have a Dutch oven, you should use any oven-safe heavy-duty pot with a lid.

Step 5: Bake for about 35 minutes. For an correct doneness take a look at, the bread is finished when an instant-read thermometer reads the middle of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).

cranberry nut bread in a dutch oven after baking

FAQ: Why Bake No-Knead Bread in a Dutch Oven?

Baking the bread with the lid on traps steam contained in the pot, creating that completely crisp crust. A lid is the key to this bread recipe’s success! You received’t remorse selecting up a Dutch oven.

No Dutch oven? No downside.

Whereas baking the bread in a Dutch oven is essential to this bread’s texture, you will get round it. As a substitute, place the rounded dough on a parchment paper-lined or generously floured nonstick baking pan. No must pre-heat the pan such as you do the Dutch oven. Whereas the oven preheats and the scored loaf is resting, boil a kettle of water. After the oven is preheated, place scored dough/baking pan on the middle rack. Then place a shallow steel baking/roasting pan or cast-iron skillet (I often use a steel 9×13-inch baking pan; don’t use glass) on the underside oven rack. Fastidiously and shortly pour 3–4 cups of boiling water into it, after which shortly shut the oven door to entice the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust. That is precisely how I bake 4-ingredient artisan bread.

Step 6: Get pleasure from a slice of heat, recent bread you received’t imagine you made out of scratch.

round boule loaf of cranberry nut bread on marble serving tray.

This evenly honey-sweetened cranberry nut bread is fabulous for breakfast, toasted with butter or honey butter. Or serve it alongside a charcuterie board with a smooth cheese like brie or goat cheese, or this white cheddar cranberry pecan cheese ball (yum!).

This recipe is delivered to you in partnership with Purple Star Yeast.

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