Cranberry Walnut Yeast Bread
A savory yeast bread studded with walnuts, fresh cranberries and black pepper - delicious for toasting, for sandwiches and for holiday gift giving.
Making homemade bread doesn't have to be complicated - it just takes some time and elbow grease.
I've always liked to make bread - meaning the kind that requires yeast that you have to knead and let rise and rise again.
I never found it difficult, it's more of a process - you basically need a day to see the whole thing through but there's a lot of idle time involved. And once I got my KitchenAid Stand mixer for my wedding over 10 years ago, I kissed kneading dough good-bye as the trusty dough hook attachment takes care of that laborious process.
(Or you could also go the no-knead, bake in a Dutch oven bread way made famous by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. It really works!)
So, this cranberry walnut bread is loose riff off of Saints' Bread - an Italian slightly sweet and peppery bread that's made on All Saints' Day (November 1st) in Italy.
(Funny aside, when I first googled Saints' Bread, it lead me to this.)
Hopefully, New Orleans fans will approve of this recipe, too.
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Cranberry Walnut Yeast Bread
- Yield: one 9-inch rectangle loaf or two 6-inch round loaves. 1x
Description
A savory yeast bread studded with walnuts, fresh cranberries and black pepper - delicious for toasting, for sandwiches and for holiday gift giving.
Ingredients
- 1 (¼ ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl (or large bowl), add yeast, water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand for about 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- While yeast is proofing, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl, mix cranberries with ¼ cup sugar.
- In bowl with yeast, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, walnuts, cranberries, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, black pepper and salt. Mix with a dough hook and slowly add remaining ½ cup all-purpose flour (1 tablespoon at a time) as the dough starts to take shape. Knead for about 5 - 7 minutes (using the heels of your hands if you don't have a stand mixer) until dough smooth and elastic. Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Coat bowl with cooking spray and replace dough. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
- Punch down dough and turn out onto floured surface. Shape into either one 9-inch rectangle loaf or two 5 ½ - 6-inch round loaves. Place on oiled tray, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again for about 30 minutes or until double in size.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 25 minutes (for the 2 round loaves) or 30 minutes (for the 1 rectangle loaf.) Tap loaf and it will sound hollow when cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Make a few extra loaves of this cranberry walnut bread for holiday gifts and your freezer.
Check out Cooking Light's online tutorial on How to Make Yeast Breads <-- includes a great tip on creating a foolproof "bread rising" environment.
Do you ever make homemade yeast bread? What kind? Any special breads (quick or yeast) that you make only during the holidays? Please share - we love to hear from you.
This bread looks so perfect! I love making bread, too, but have a lot of learning to do!
I made this bread yesterday; two rounds. Oh my goodness, it was delicious. Making yeast bread can be a challenge at 7500 feet, but this came out beautifully. Great recipe and clear directions. Used my KA dough hook for the first time. So easy!
Dianne - your comment made my day! That KA dough hook is a game changer for sure - now I need to make this bread - it's been too long 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
Growing up, the only kind of bread making we did was pour everything into our handy dandy bread maker and let it do all the work. Even then we didn't make much. To us, rice was a lot more important ;). Thank you so much for sharing the link on how to make yeast breads. I'd like to do some holiday baking this year! And this cranberry walnut bread looks like the perfect one to start with! Pinning!
p.s Haha omy goodness Saints toaster - things people come up with..never cease to amaze me.
If anyone could do it, Min, you could definitely become a world class yeast bread baker 🙂
Yum! I love making yeast breads! I was always nervous about using yeast, but ever since I took that jump and tried it last summer, I can't get enough!
I know - you just have rip off the band aid and try it - then you can't stop 🙂
This bread looks delicious, a turkey panini on it would be amazing! Personally, I love making different types of focaccia. And I'm all about the KA dough hook too 😉
OK, I can't get the thought of a turkey panini on this bread out of my head - need to make turkey pronto (alas, I had no leftovers from T-day.) I love love LOVE me some focaccia. Now I'm in the mood for that too 🙂
I love, love, love fruit and nut studded yeast breads. Like, with a passion. Buttered and slathered in honey, too... Yum, Yum, Yum.
And if I had an Auburn Tiger toaster, this would be a must-toast in it... even with the loss this weekend 🙁
Yes - butter & honey is a must!
You need to get yourself an Auburn Tiger toaster! You still have a fine team that could beat the socks off of any Big Ten team (I know that's not saying much...)
I love the combination of cranberry and walnuts although I've never had it in a yeast bread - this sounds amazing!
Thanks Jeanette! It's the first time I put fresh cranberries in a bread and was hoping they weren't too tart...and they weren't 🙂
This looks yummy, Deanna!! Only way to make it better would be to toast it in that Saint's toaster to make it a little more festive 😉
Oooh - now you are talking! Even though I'm in Philly, I'd love a Saints toaster as you know the love affair I have with your city 🙂
That Saint's toaster is awesome! Haha That's my team so I wouldn't mind having that around 😉 I love cranberry walnut bread and yours looks easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
I know, that toaster is da bomb! I'm not really into NFL football but love NOLA and the fleur de lis symbol so I'd even consider it 🙂
After sticking mostly with quick breads in the kitchen, I've been experimenting with yeast breads lately. They are trickier, but so satisfying when they rise and bake up brown and beautiful. I've made many loaves of cranberry quick bread over the years, but never a yeast bread. Will add this to my cooking "to dos". Thanks Deanna.
I have all the confidence that you will turn into a yeast bread making aficionado 🙂
This bread is just beautiful and the thought of warm, fresh bread... Yum! Pinned and putting this on my to do list.
Thanks Anne and let me know you get to make it 🙂
I don't do it often, but I love making my own bread! It's such a rewarding activity. I'd love to try my hand at making sourdough bread, but keeping a sourdough starter alive isn't the easiest thing to do! This bread sounds delicious, I bet the cranberries and walnuts add great texture! Have a happy Monday and here's to a great week!
That is one bread that has allude me - the sourdough and I love it so. Hmmm, that might need to be my baking challenge for 2015.
Love homemade bread. Yes, making it takes time, but it's so worth it and I enjoy the process; smelling the yeast, watching it rise, punching it down, watching it brown. Yes, a little obsessed! This one looks like a keeper, Deanna!
You sound EXACTLY like me when it comes to making bread (but I'm not surprised 🙂
I have never made anything with yeast. Too afraid I would screw it up. Guess I need to put my "big girl" pants on and try!
Jennifer - I know you could do it - I see all the amazing recipes that come out of your kitchen 🙂
This looks delicious Deanna! I remember the first time I made bread (well, soft pretzels). I thought touching yeast was like playing with the devil!
Haha - great analogy 🙂 This Philly gal loves that you've made soft pretzels!
yum, this looks like heaven!