No-Knead Cranberry Nut Bread
Looking for a bread recipe that’s special but still simple to make? With just a few mix-ins, you can make this delicious loaf at home.
No-Knead Cranberry Nut Bread
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic Wrap
- Dutch oven optional
Ingredients
- 3¼ all-purpose flour 425 grams
- 1¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast instant or active dry
- 1 cup dried cranberries soaked in water
- ¾ cup pecans can substitute walnuts
Instructions
- Soak the cranberries in water. Place the cranberries in a small bowl of warm water and allow them to soak for at least ten minutes.
- Mix the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, water, salt, sugar, cranberries, and nuts. Use a rubber spatula to mix well, incorporating any dry areas of flour.The dough should form a shaggy ball. If there are any dry bits that are not being incorporated, add a few more teaspoons of water and mix again. The dough should be sticky.
- Cover and allow to rise. Tightly cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap. Place the covered bowl on the countertop and allow it to rise for 8-10 hours. This process will be faster in a warmer room. If it's going slow, just give it more time.
- Shape into a ball. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment or spraying generously with nonstick cooking spray. (See notes for baking instructions using a Dutch oven instead.) Gently pick the dough out of the bowl and shape it into a smooth ball. Pull from the bottom of the dough to smooth out the top rather than smashing the dough down. Deflate any large air bubbles that have formed. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Allow the dough to proof. Prepare a warm place for the second rise, either by briefly turning on your oven or placing a bowl of hot water inside it. Cover the ball of dough with greased plastic wrap, making sure that the loaf is completely covered. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until puffy but not quite doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the center. Be sure to remove the dough first.
- Bake. Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes. The finished loaf will be deep golden brown and have an internal temperature of 200 degrees. Cool for an hour before slicing.
Notes
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- The bread is simple to make. All you do is mix, rise, shape, and bake!
- There’s no kneading required. A wet dough and a long rise time makes all that tedious kneading a thing of the past.
- The recipe only uses a few ingredients. Just your basic pantry staples, plus the fruit and nuts.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need:
all-purpose flour
- salt
- sugar
- yeast (I prefer instant but you can use active dry)
- dried cranberries
- pecans (or walnuts, or really any nut you’d like!)
🥣 Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet or Dutch oven
🍴Instructions
Step One: Mix the ingredients
Soak the cranberries in water. Put the cranberries in a small bowl of warm water and let them soak for at least ten minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, water, salt, sugar, cranberries, and nuts. Use a rubber spatula to mix everything together well. Make sure to incorporate any dry areas of flour. The dough should form a ball. If there are any dry bits, add more water and mix again. The dough should be sticky.
Step Two: the first rise
Cover and allow to rise. Cover the bowl of dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise don’t he counter for at least 8 hours until very puffy. It should nearly come to the top of the bowl.
Step three: shape
You can use parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray to prepare a baking sheet. If you’re using parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray so the dough doesn’t stick. Gently take the dough out of the bowl and shape it into a smooth ball. Don’t smash it down – use your hands to pull from the bottom and smooth out the top. If there are any large air bubbles, deflate them. Then put the dough on the prepared baking sheet (or a Dutch oven, if you have one.)
Step Four: second rise
Prepare a warm place for the second rise, either by briefly turning on your oven or placing a bowl of hot water inside it. Cover the ball of dough with greased plastic wrap, making sure that the loaf is completely covered. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until puffy but not quite doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the center. Be sure to remove the dough first.
Step Five: bake
🥫 Storage instructions
The bread will stay fresh tightly wrapped on the counter for 3-4 days.
For easy serving, slice the loaf and store the slices in an airtight container or bag. You can also freeze the slices.
🔍 FAQs
Yes, of course. You can use raisins, dried cherries, or even diced apricots.
Again, yes. Pecans are traditional, but walnuts or almonds would also be delicious.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Soak cranberries in water for at least 10 minutes
- The dough should be sticky. If there isn’t enough water, the gluten won’t develop.
- The dough can rise in the fridge too, but will take more like 12 hours.
- Be patient! If the dough isn’t very puffy and bubbly, it needs more time.
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By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.