The first recipe that I posted on my blog was no-knead bread, and it is still one of my absolute favorite things to bake. I just love that with very little effort, I can have an amazing loaf of freshly baked bread any time that I want it! And there are so many different varieties, the possibilities are endless. I’ve shared bacon and carrot with you, and today I have a recipe for cranberry walnut bread. This might be my new favorite. The tart, sweet cranberries pair so nicely with the toasty walnuts. And it makes the best toast!!
So when I say very little effort, I mean compared to traditional bread that requires lots of kneading. There is definitely a little bit of work involved in this. But it really is minimal compared to most bread recipes! What it does require is a lot of hands-off time. 15 to 21 hours to be exact. BUT! I’d estimate that with this recipe, you’ll spend a total of 6 minutes start to finish actually doing any work. 6 minutes of effort for the most amazing fresh baked bread!! That’s pretty awesome. Here’s a run-down:
-mix together the flour, yeast, salt, cranberries, walnuts, and water in a bowl. 3 minutes of effort
-let it sit at room temperature for 12 – 18 hours
-shape the dough into a ball. 3 minutes of effort
-let it sit for 2 hours
-transfer the dough to a pre-heated dutch oven. 30 seconds of effort
-bake for about 45 minutes
Not bad, right? Just takes a little planning for your timing. And once you figure it out, you can have fresh baked bread all of the time. This cranberry walnut version is the perfect bread for fall and winter!
The risen dough, ready for the oven
Almost ready to come out of the oven, needs about 10 more minutes.
The finished product!
And it looks even better once you slice into it.
No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread
Recipe adapted from My Bread by Jim Lahey
Equipment: a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart enameled cast-iron pot with a tight fitting lid (I use a Le Creuset Dutch Oven)
Ingredients:
3 Cups (400 grams) Bread Flour
1/2 tsp instant or other active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp (8 grams) salt
½ cup (85 grams) dried cranberries
½ cup (50 grams) chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cup (350 grams) cool water
extra flour for dusting
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, cranberries, and walnuts. Add the water and using a rubber spatula mix until a shaggy ball forms. If the dough does not feel sticky to the touch, add in a bit more water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 12 – 18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size.
When the slow rise is complete, Lay a 12 x 18 inch sheet of parchment paper inside a 10-inch skillet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Generously dust your counter, a large cutting board, or a silicone mat with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out in one piece. Using lightly floured hands, lift the edges of the dough and fold them in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to the parchment-lined skillet. A bench scraper is helpful for doing this. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and cover the dough loosely with the wrap. Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled, and if it holds an indentation when gently poked with your finger.
Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third position, and place a covered pot in the center of the rack. Take the pre-heated pot out of the oven, and carefully transfer the dough into the pot by lifting the parchment paper and lowering it into the pot. Quickly cover the pot and put it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color, 10 – 20 mins more. Make sure to check the bread so it doesn’t burn, because every oven is different. An instant-read thermometer will register 210 degrees, or you can tap the bottom and listen for a hollow sound. Carefully remove the bread from the pot and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Just love this! Especially the no knead part! Brilliant 🙂 love the combination of flavours too!
Thank you so much – easy and delicious are the best types of recipes!
So very true!
Looks gorgeous and delicious. I will have to try it for myself! 🙂
Thank you! I hope you love it!
Wow – see exactly the same one I made at http://rubytheblacklabrador.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/943/ and the source. I’ve only made plain but will definitely try this combination!
Isn’t it the best bread?! I love no-knead!!
Me too – love it
No knead. Love. Could be made overnight. Love. Walnuts. Love. Cranberries. Love. Just love love love really.
Thank you so much!! Love all the love.
Just love the combination of cranberry and walnut!! I’m scared of yeast but this looks doable 🙂
Have you ever tried no-knead bread? Check out the post below if not – I used to be so scared of yeast too! But this recipe really changed everything. I still feel proud when a loaf comes out of the oven!
http://chezcateylou.com/2013/02/25/no-knead-bread/
This looks delicious! I dont think there is anything better than homemade bread!
Thank you! I agree, homemade bread is the best!
This looks great. (…and kudos to you for mentioning Jim Lahey’s MY BREAD.) I’m curious–you don’t mention it in the recipe, but from the pictures it looks like you lifted the bread out of its basket lined with parchment paper and set it directly into the heated Dutch oven. Clever way to avoid the whole -dust-the-tea-towel-with-rice-flour thing, but doesn’t the paper scorch or burn? Thanks. Ken
Thanks, Ken! You are right, I keep the bread dough on the parchment paper when I put it in the Dutch Oven. The paper gets very brown and kind of crispy (as you can kind of see in the picture of the oven), but it does not burn. It is a much cleaner version of making this bread!
Would using fresh or frozen cranberries work for this delicious looking bread? Can’t wait to make it now that the chilly weather is here. Thanks.
Hi Karen! So sorry for the delay. I have never tried using fresh/frozen cranberries, but I think it would work very well! Let me know if you try it!
It was my first time making any kind of homemade rustic bread, and your recipe was super easy to follow!! Absolutely loved it!
Hi Evelyn! I’m so glad you loved it – welcome to bread baking!!
I only have a Lodge cast iron dutch oven…not an enameled one. Should I not use my Lodge?
I’m a big fan of no-knead bread, and have made hundreds of delicious loaves of it, including chocolate/dried cherry and cinnamon-raisin. But I’ve been out of the habit lately, and during the past two weeks have purchased TWO loaves of cranberry-walnut artisan bread at Costco for $7.99 each!!! I know that I can do as well or better, so I was looking up recipes to encourage myself to bake the next loaf!