Yeast breads seem like they are super complicated; however, these recipes can be as easy as mixing together ingredients, letting it sit, and then baking it. I mean, it really is as simple as that.
This recipe combines flour, dried fruit and toasted nuts, and then you let it sit for up to 18 hours. So this is the perfect recipe to mix the night before and bake fresh for breakfast. You can sub different nuts if you prefer or different dried fruit. The walnut+cranberry combo is pretty darn tasty, though.
You can double this recipe easily. Bake up two loaves and freeze the extra or share with your neighbor.
I'm including two baking instructions. One will bake up super crusty. The other will have a more traditional crust.
Cranberry Walnut Bread
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredient
1 Tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 95°F (35°C))
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 1/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup rye flour (optional, can just be all all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries
Directions
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit until foamy, 10 -15 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the flour and salt, stir until mostly combined. Add the walnuts and cranberries; stirring well to combine. The dough will be very sticky; don’t be tempted to add more flour, you want a sticky dough. Gently shape into a ball as best you can.
Cover the bowl tightly. Set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine) and allow to rise for 12–18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and may have air bubbles on the surface.
Baking option #1 - Super Crusty:
About an hour before cooking, line a large bowl with a sheet of parchment paper. Scoop the dough into mound in the middle. Set the bowl aside to rest for 30 to 40 minutes while you preheat the oven. I generally cover the bowl with another upside down bowl to keep the surface of the dough from drying out. You can also use a sheet of lightly-oiled plastic wrap.
During this rest, preheat the oven to 475°F. Place a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot in the oven for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. Once the loaf is poofy and ready to bake (it will not double in size), remove the Dutch oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and placing it all—the parchment paper included—inside the pot. Cover with the lid.
Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes until the bread is golden brown. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Baking Option #2 - Traditional crust:
About an hour before cooking, line a cake pan or round baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper. Scoop the dough into mound in the middle. Set the bowl aside to rest for 30 to 40 minutes while you preheat the oven. I generally cover the bowl with another upside down bowl to keep the surface of the dough from drying out. You can also use a sheet of lightly-oiled plastic wrap.
During this rest, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Once the loaf is poofy and ready to bake (it will not double in size), slide the pan into the oven.
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until crusty brown. Carefully remove loaf from the oven, turn it onto a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
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