Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Classic sourdough bread sprinkled with sweet cranberries and toasted walnuts – Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread is both beautiful and delicious. Try this fun and festive sourdough variation at your next party or holiday gathering!

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Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread is a fun variation to the classic sourdough boule. With it’s festive appearance and delicious flavor combo, it’s sure to be a hit this holiday season!

Try a slice toasted and topped with honey butter, or cream cheese with a drizzle of honey. Or how about some fun and festive croutons? Or, even as a sandwich bread for that leftover turkey!

There’s a myriad of ways to enjoy this bread. The sweet and savory flavors make this bread both tasty and versatile.

Find More Sourdough Recipes at Quail Creek Homestead:

• Favorite Sourdough Bread – 70% Hydration Recipe
• Sourdough Buttermilk Sandwich Bread
• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sourdough Bread
• Soft Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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What You Need to Make This Recipe

Kitchen scale

Large heavy-bottomed mixing bowl and wooden spoon

Dough whisk

Banneton basket – This is a great starter set for sourdough bread making. If you don’t have a banneton, you can use a medium-size bowl lined with a clean tea towel.

Bread lame for scoring

Dutch oven

Wire rack for cooling

Ingredients for Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Non-chlorinated, filtered water – if you have to use chlorinated water, let it sit out for a while before mixing the dough.

Active sourdough leaven – I prefer to use a leaven, but you can also use active sourdough starter if you prefer to keep a large starter. See below for how to make a leaven for this recipe.

Honey

Organic Bread Flour – if you don’t have bread flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour. Bread flour will create a better texture and oven spring, however.

Salt

Toasted walnuts, chopped

Dried cranberries – you can use sweetened or unsweetened; I prefer sweetened.

How to Make a Leaven for This Recipe

This recipe calls for 100 grams of active leaven. Mix the following ingredients in a jar or container, cover with a breathable lid and allow to activate. This will take anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the temperature of your home, and the temperature of your starter.

• 50 grams non-chlorinated water
• 50 grams organic bread flour
• 10 grams sourdough starter (active starter, not discard)

How to Make Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, measure water. Whisk in leaven, then honey. Add flour and salt; stir to combine well.

Autolyse

Cover and let the dough rest 30 minutes to an hour.

Coil Folds

Do four rounds of coil folds over the next 1-1.5 hours; 15 to 20 minutes apart. Before the second round, add cranberries and walnuts and proceed as you normally would. It’s okay if the inclusions don’t incorporate fully right off – they will with the next couple sets.

Bulk Ferment

Place the dough in a warm spot and allow to bulk ferment until nearly doubled; 4-8 hours.

Shaping

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and form into initial shape. Let the dough rest about 10 minutes, then do a final shape. Place in a banneton basket, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

Bake

Preheat a Dutch oven in the oven to 450 degrees F. Turn the loaf out onto parchment paper or a bread mat; score as desired. Bake at 450 degrees for 26-28 minutes with the lid on. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees F, remove the lid and bake another 8-10 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Cool the loaf completely on a wire rack before cutting. Enjoy!