Cranberry Walnut Bread

Ingredients

Levain (build night before)

• 50g (3 tablespoons) Active sourdough starter
• 100g (1 tbsp) Water (80-85°F / 27-29°C)
• 100g (3/4 cup) Bread flour

Dough

• ~250g (all) Levain (all of it)
• 375g (1 2/3 cups) Water (80-85°F / 27-29°C)
• 500g (4 cups) Bread flour
• 10g (1 3/4 teaspoons) Fine sea salt
• 75g (1/2 cup) Dried cranberries
• 75g (2/3 cup) Walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Equipment

Method

Build Your Levain

Mix 50g active sourdough starter with 100g water (80-85°F) and 100g bread flour in a clean jar. Stir until combined, cover loosely, and let sit at room temperature overnight. You want it bubbly and doubled by morning, with a domed top.

1. Combine starter and water. Mix 50g active sourdough starter with 100g water (80-85°F) in a clean jar.
2. Add flour. Add 100g bread flour and stir until combined.
3. Rest overnight. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature overnight (8-10 hours). It should be bubbly and doubled by morning.

Prepare Inclusions

Toast walnuts and soak cranberries before mixing your dough.

1. Toast walnuts. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Let cool completely, then chop coarsely.
2. Soak cranberries. Soak dried cranberries in warm water for 15 minutes to plump them. Drain well and pat completely dry with a towel.

Mix the Dough

Combine your levain with water and flour for the autolyse.

1. Dissolve levain. In a large bowl, add 375g water (80-85°F) and dissolve all of your levain into it.
2. Add flour. Add 500g bread flour and mix with your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy and rough.
3. Autolyse. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes. This autolyse develops gluten without effort.

Wait: 45 minutes

Add Salt and Develop Strength

Incorporate salt and begin building gluten structure.

1. Add salt. Sprinkle 10g salt over the dough.
2. Incorporate. Pinch and fold the dough repeatedly for about 5 minutes until the salt is fully incorporated and the dough starts to tighten up.
3. Rest. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Wait: 30 minutes

Stretch and Folds with Inclusions

Build strength and incorporate the cranberries and walnuts.

1. First fold (10:30 AM). Wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times total.
2. Test dough strength. Try adding a small handful of cranberries and walnuts. If the dough tears or goes slack, do another set of folds, wait 30 minutes, then try again.
3. Add half inclusions. If the dough holds together, add half your cranberries and walnuts and fold them in gently. Rest 30 minutes.
4. Second fold (11 AM). Another round of stretch and folds. Add remaining cranberries and walnuts if not already added. Rest 30 minutes.
5. Third fold (11:30 AM). Final stretch and folds. The dough should feel smooth, strong, and slightly puffy.

Bulk Fermentation

Let the dough bulk fermentation at room temperature for about 4 hours total. Watch for these signs: volume increased by 50%, dough looks visibly puffed with a dome on top, finger indent slowly springs back halfway, bubbles visible under the surface.

1. Monitor fermentation. Cover and let ferment. Watch for 50% volume increase, visible bubbles, and dome formation.
2. Check readiness. Press a finger in—the indent should slowly spring back halfway. Trust what you see over the clock.

Wait: ~4 hours

Shape Your Loaf

Create surface tension for a beautiful rise in the oven.

Boule (Round) (recommended)

Classic round shape for Dutch oven baking.

1. Pre-shape. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Preshape into a round by pulling edges toward the center, creating tension on the surface.
2. Bench rest. Let rest 15-20 minutes uncovered (bench rest).
3. Final shape. Flip the dough so smooth side is down. Fold edges to center again, creating a tight ball. Flip over and drag across counter to build surface tension.
4. Into banneton. Place seam-side up in a well-floured banneton or bowl lined with floured towel.

Bake Your Loaf

Dutch oven method for maximum oven spring and crust.

Oven: 230°C / 450°F. Internal temperature when done: 96-99°C / 205-210°F.

Dutch Oven (recommended)

Dutch oven method for maximum oven spring and crust.

Equipment: Dutch oven with lid

1. Preheat. Place Dutch oven with lid in oven and preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes.
2. Prepare loaf. Turn loaf out onto parchment paper. Scoring the top with a lame or sharp knife—one deep slash down the center works great.
3. Load Dutch oven. Carefully remove hot Dutch oven, drop in loaf (parchment and all), and cover with lid.
4. Steam bake. Bake covered for 20 minutes for oven spring.
5. Finish bake. Remove lid and continue baking 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown and internal temp reaches 205-210°F.
6. Cool. Transfer to wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. The crumb is still setting.

Storage

• Room temperature: Store wrapped in a towel or in a bread bag for up to 3 days. The cranberries and walnuts keep it moist.
• Frozen: Slice and freeze for up to 2 months. Toast frozen slices for breakfast or cheese plates.
• Refresh: Warm slices in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?

Dried works better. Fresh cranberries add too much moisture and can make your dough too wet to handle. If you must use fresh, pat them completely dry and reduce the amount to 50g maximum.

Do I have to use a Dutch oven?

A Dutch oven gives the best oven spring and crust, but you can bake on a stone with steam. Just know your results will vary.

Why is my dough tearing when I add the inclusions?

You added them before the gluten was strong enough. Do more stretch and folds to build strength first, then try again. The dough should feel elastic and hold together before you add heavy mix-ins.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?

Yes. Bloom it in the warm water for 5-10 minutes before adding flour.

Will the yeasted version taste like the sourdough version?

Similar texture and crumb, but you won't get that tangy depth. The cold retard helps build some complexity even with yeasted dough.

How do I know when bulk fermentation is done?

Look for a 50% volume increase (sourdough) or doubled volume (yeasted), visible bubbles under the surface, and a dough that springs back slowly when poked.

My loaf didn't rise much in the oven. What happened?

Either underproofed during bulk, overproofed during final proof, or (for sourdough) your sourdough starter wasn't active enough. Check your starter health first.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (~75g)): 240 kcal calories, 42g carbohydrates, 7g protein, 5g fat, 2g fiber, 290mg sodium.