Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread
Published: February 13, 2022 | Updated: April 18, 2024.
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NOTE: This recipe has been updated to include an additional step in which the dough is cold proofed in the refrigerator prior to baking.
This no-knead overnight Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread is packed with loads of chewy dried cranberries, nutrient-rich walnuts and warming cinnamon then lightly sweetened with honey. It’s hearty and satisfying and bakes up beautifully!
Sweet and nutty with that perfect crusty top we love, this simple no-knead loaf is SO GOOD served still warm from the oven or toasted to crispy perfection with lots of melty butter and more honey.
This recipe builds on my simple 4-ingredient, no-knead Everyday Artisan Bread. It’s still super easy to make and requires just a handful of extra ingredients.
All the ways to enjoy Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread
This breakfast loaf is incredibly versatile. We’ve used it to make bread pudding and French toast, added slices to cheese boards, it makes a deliciously sweet and melty apple and Gouda grilled cheese and we love it for stuffing over the holidays.
How to Make Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread in 5 steps
Mix the dough.
Cover and let it rise until it has doubled in size.
Shape your dough and dust with flour.
Cover and proof the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or as long as 24 hours.
Turn dough out onto parchment, score and bake.
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Baking Schedule
Making this cranberry walnut artisan bread is a two-day process where the bread is mixed and prepared on day one, cold proofed in the fridge overnight, then baked on day two.
This is what it looks like:
Saturday morning: Mix dough, cover and let rise.
Saturday afternoon or evening: Shape dough, cover and put it in the fridge.
Sunday morning, afternoon or evening: Remove dough from the fridge, turn it out, score it and bake!
A super simple and addictive bake that we enjoy year-round, this Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread is a staple from Thanksgiving through Easter served for breakfast with hot cocoa. Enjoy!
Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread
Makes 1 loaf; prep time 18 hours.
You can find additional notes on steps, baking tools and tips for beginners here.
Ingredients:
1½ cups water (360 grams), room temperature (at or near 70°F/21°C)
1 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
3 cups (390 grams) bread or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (2.6 grams) cinnamon
1 cup (250 grams) fresh or ¾ cup (130 grams) dried cranberries
½ cup (75 grams) chopped walnuts
1-2 tablespoons (18.75-37.5 grams) liquid honey (see note below)
Instructions:
Add yeast to water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. While the yeast is activating, in a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, cranberries and walnuts until the cranberries are well-covered in flour. *If using fresh or frozen cranberries see note below.
Add yeast mixture and honey to the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. The dough should look a little sticky and stringy and there should still be a little flour around the edges of the bowl.
Cover and let rise somewhere warm (see note below) until it has doubled in size, about 8-10 hours.
Once the dough has doubled in volume, use your hands (or a dough scraper if you have one) to pull the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, gently fold the dough into itself several times until a soft, flour-covered ball is formed. Seam side up, lift and place it into a flour dusted proofing bowl like this one. Dust with flour, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or as long as 24 hours. You can even leave it for as long as 48 hours at this point if you’re not able to bake it right away.
When you're ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with a Dutch oven or covered baking vessel inside the oven.
Uncover then invert the bowl to turn the dough out onto parchment paper seam side down. If needed, gently turn it with your hands and nudge it into the shape of a loaf. Score the top with a razor blade or the tip of a sharp knife with a design of your choosing. This will allow steam to escape while it’s baking.
Once the oven is preheated, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the dough, still on the parchment, into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15-20 minutes more. Your bread will be done once the top is browned, and it sounds hollow when you tap the top.
Using parchment edges, lift bread from Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to let cool for up to an hour before slicing.
Notes:
*Cranberries: If using fresh or frozen cranberries, flour is your friend. Whether you choose to slice your cranberries or use straight from frozen, dredge cranberries with 1-2 tablespoons flour in a separate bowl before adding them to flour mixture to help prevent the juices from seeping into the dough.
Honey: I find dried cranberries to be less tart than fresh or frozen. If using dried berries, I recommend adding just 1 tablespoon honey and doubling to 2 tablespoons if using fresh or frozen. If you don’t have honey, maple syrup is a delicious substitute.
Rise time and temperature: An ambient rise temperature somewhere between ~70º-75º/20º-23ºC is ideal but even high 60's/18º-19ºC should work if the dough is kept away from drafts. Note that rise times can vary based on temperature, environment and ingredients used. You will know your loaf is ready to bake when it has doubled in size, and this can take a minimum of 2-3 hours or as long as a full day. With a little experimentation, you will find the time frame that works best for you.
Storage: This bread will keep well on the counter for 2-3 days and in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sliced bread will freeze well for up to 3 months.
