Cranberry Walnut Bread

I was at the grocery store the other day and almost got sucked into buying a small boule of cranberry walnut bread for $1.99. It just looked soooo good. My hand was literally on the bread when I thought, “DUH, I can make this, with next to no effort, using the no-knead bread recipe!” And so I did.

…And they were perfect.

…And they cost less than half the price.

…And you can do it too.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry Walnut Bread

4.70 from 10 votes

This super easy cranberry walnut bread requites no kneading and bakes up to a nice chewy interior and perfectly crispy crust.

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 12

Prep 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour ($0.16)
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour ($0.33)
• 1 1/4 tsp salt ($0.05)
• 3/4 Tbsp instant yeast ($0.20)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts ($0.42)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries ($0.30)
• 1 1/4 cups water ($0.00)
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal ($0.03)

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Instructions 

• In a large bowl or pot, combine the dry ingredients (flours, salt, yeast, cranberries and walnuts. Cornmeal not included). Add the water and stir until a shaggy ball forms.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature with a loose cover (I use the lid to the pot, slightly cocked so gasses can escape) for two hours. After two hours turn the dough out onto a floured surface and give it 3 or four turns (or kneads) just to make a coherent, smooth ball. Cut into two or leave as one large piece of dough. Shape into a round ball.
• Place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise for at least one hour or until double in size. At the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Using a sharp knife or a serrated bread knife, gently make a few slits across the top of the dough. Brush or spritz the dough with water and bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 161.92kcalCarbohydrates: 30.55gProtein: 5.21gFat: 2.43gSodium: 247.27mgFiber: 2.29g

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Step By Step Photos

Combine the flours, salt, yeast, walnuts and cranberries in a large bowl or pot. Stir until evenly combined.

Add the water and stir until a shaggy dough ball forms. If it is too dry to form a sticky ball, add a water a couple Tbsp at a time until it comes together. It is better to have the dough a little too wet than too dry at this point because you can always add a little flour back when you are shaping the loaves.

After two hours of sitting at room temperature with a loose lid, the dough will have expanded into this big, fluffy mass. Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Give the dough a couple folds/kneads (really, just 2-4 turns, no real kneading!) until it is smooth and non-sticky.

Shape the dough into one large or two small boules. Place the loaves on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise for another hour or until doubled.

The loaves are now risen so it’s time to preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Just before they go in the oven, make a few slashes across the top to allow them to expand and brush the outside with water. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is a deep brown color.

Using 1/4 cup each of walnuts and cranberries filled the bread enough to have one of each in every bite. If you want the bread jam-packed full of goodies, try 1/3 cup of each. I know it’s hard to see it in the picture, but there’s a lot in there!