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Best No Knead Bread Recipe with Cranberries und Walnuts

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This rustic No-Knead Bread recipe with Cranberries, Walnuts and Sun-dried Tomatoes makes a delicious bakery-style artisan loaf that’s perfect for a brunch, breakfast or as a side! Totally fool-proof thanks to my easy baking tips.  Homemade bakery-style bread made easy! 

overhead shot of a loaf of artisan no knead cranberry walnut bread

This Cranberry Walnut No-Knead Bread Recipe is LIFE CHANGING! 

I daresay millions of home bakers around the country will agree that no-knead bread is a life-changer. It takes all of 5 minutes to make and tastes like you just got it at the city’s best artisan bakery for many many monies. 

When you really just stirred together flour, some bread spices, yeast and salt. In goes water, stir stir. Done! Let the yeast do its job overnight and the next morning you basically just have to dump the dough onto a sheet or parchment paper and transfer it to a preheated Dutch Oven. 

 a loaf of homemade bakery-style artisan no knead bread with cranberries and walnuts on a cooling rack

This easy No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread is baked in an oven-safe Dutch Oven with the lid on. This traps in steam, making the crust extra crispy and giving us the perfect bakery-style rise. Preheating the pot is of the essence and should not be rushed. 

Adding flavor to homemade bread: 

The flour-salt-yeast amount will always be the same. You always start from there. As a good German, I just cannot bake bread without adding some classic German Bread Spice to the flour. I just use a mix of cumin (or caraway seeds), coriander and fennel seeds but you mix in some ground anise too. 

Then, just before adding the water, think how you want to tweak the flavor with add-ins – and let your imagination run wild. Asiago cheese, fresh herbs, chopped olives, roasted sunflower seeds, etc…Or maybe you love the cranberry-pecan bread at your local artisan bakery? Work those ingredients into your dry ingredients. 

I like so add seeds nuts and dried fruit. For this loaf, I added chopped walnuts and cranberries.  What I also added? Chopped sundried tomatoes and guys it was AMAZING! You can skip the tomatoes and just add more cranberries but I LOVE the mix of sweet, salty and crunchy.

a sliced loaf of Cranberry Walnut no knead bread made in the Dutch oven

How to Make Cranberry Walnut No-Knead Bread in your Dutch Oven

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, spices, and yeast. Add fruit and nuts. Stir some honey or maple syrup into the water and add to the middle and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough. (Pic 1 below)

It should not be too liquid but sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with many bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size. This will take a minimum of 14 hours and up to 18 hours. This slow rise—fermentation—is the key to flavor so do not rush it. 

no knead bread dough being stirred together in a bowl

Once this first fermentation is complete, lay some parchment paper on your work surface and generously dust it with flour. Scrape the bread dough onto the parchment paper in one piece. Yes, it will cling to the sides in strings and the dough will be quite loose and sticky. But that is ok so do not add more flour. (Pic 2 above)

Use lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough in toward the center to shape a bowl (Pic 1 below). Tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. Turn seam side down (Pic 2 below). Now lift the parchment paper directly into your proofing basket and cover with cling film. Let proof for 45 to 60 minutes.

picture collage demonstrating how to shape loaf of bread by folding not kneading

40 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a covered quart dutch oven with the lid on in the center of the rack.

Once the bread has risen and doubled in size (more or less), take pot holders and carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven. Lift the lid quickly and, lift cling film off the dough and lift up the dough on the parchment paper and quickly but gently transfer it into the pot. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep brown color but not burnt, 15 minutes more.

two slices of Artisan Cranberry Walnut No Knead Bread with cranberries, cream cheese and jam in the background

Place the bread on a rack to cool thoroughly. Make sure to choose a cooling rack that allows for proper air circulation around the loaf. Don’t slice be tempted to slice it until it has cooled down, which usually takes at least an hour. 

How to store homemade bread? 

I store my bread in a large brown paper bag. A ziplock bag works too but it will soften the crust a lot.

If there are leftovers, just peel the crust off and cut the inside of the bread into cubes. Leave cubes on the counter overnight and in the morning you have flavorful croutons that you can fry in butter if needed. I usually keep them like that and grind them to make breadcrumbs.

overhead shot of a sliced loaf of Artisan No Knead cranberry walnut bread served with jam and cream cheese

Pro-Tips for making the best No-Knead Bread at home

  • Dusting the top of the loaf with flour before baking will create that gorgeous rustic appearance that will make everyone think you got this at a fancy bakery. 
  • I added chopped dried cranberries, walnuts and sundried tomatoes to this loaf which might sound like a weird combo but trust me, it is BLISS! 
  • You can use any dried fruit, nut, seed. Just make sure to not exceed the quantities listed.  
  • For the perfect fluffy and light crumb, avoid slicing the bread while still warm or it might turn gummy on you. Let it cool on a cooling rack. 
  • While baking, don’t open the oven door and certainly don’t take the lid off the pot. 

More bread recipes you will love: 

Did you make and love this No Knead Bread recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

overhead shot of a rustic loaf of Cranberry Walnut No Knead Bread on a cooling rack
5 from 2 votes
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Best No Knead Bread with Cranberries and Walnuts

This rustic No-Knead Bread with Cranberries, Walnuts and Sun-dried Tomatoes is a delicious sweet bakery-style artisan bread that's perfect for a brunch or breakfast with friends! Totally fool-proof thanks to my easy baking tips. NO experience required! Homemade bakery-style bread made easy! 

Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword bread recipe with cranberries, cranberry walnut bread, no knead bread recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 1000 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour 400 grams
  • 2 - 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast 1 gram
  • 1 1/3 cups cool water (55 to 65 degrees F) 300 grams - start with 1 cup
  • 1 tbsps honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground fennel
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes chopped, or olives, or more nuts or fruit ( 3 to 4 tbsps)
  • 3 tbsps dried cranberries chopped
  • 4 tbsp walnuts or other seeds or nuts like pepitas, hazelnuts, walnuts, flax seed
  • additional flour for dusting

Instructions

  1.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, spices, and yeast. Add in chopped nuts and fruit as well as tomatoes, if using. Stir honey into water. Add the water to the middle and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. It should not be too liquid and kind of form a ball. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with many bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size. This will take a minimum of 14 hours and up to 18 hours. This slow rise—fermentation—is the key to flavor so do not rush it. 

  2. Once this first fermentation process is complete, lay some parchment paper on your work surface and generously dust it with flour. Scrape the bread dough onto the floured surface in one piece.

    Don't worry if it looks messy. It will cling to the sides of the bowl in long, thin strands and the dough will be a bit loose. But that is ok so do not add more flour. The flour on your work surface is enough. Use lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough in towards the center to shape a bowl. 

    Tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.  Turn around so that the seam is facing down. Pat the sides a bit to make it perfectly round. Now lift the parchment paper directly into your proofing basket and cover with cling film. 

  3.  Let the loaf rise another 50 to 60 minutes. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, making an indentation about 1/4 inch deep, it should hold the impression. If it doesn't, let it rise for another 10 minutes. 

  4. 40 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a covered 4 1/2–5 1/2 quart dutch oven with the lid on in the center of the rack. YES, the pot preheats with the oven, for the whole 40 minutes. 

  5. Once the bread has risen, carefully remove from the oven using OVEN MITS. Lift the lid. Now remove the cling film from proofing basket and lift up the dough on the parchment paper and quickly but gently transfer it into the pot. . Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes. 

  6.  Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep brown color but not burnt, 15 minutes more. Use a spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Do not place it on your counter or aboard. It needs air to circulate around it. Don't slice be tempted to slice it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

Recipe Notes

  • Dusting the top of the loaf with flour before baking will create that gorgeous rustic appearance that will make everyone think you got this at a fancy bakery. 

  • I added chopped dried cranberries, walnuts and sundried tomatoes to this loaf which might sound like a weird combo but trust me, it is BLISS! 
  • You can use any dried fruit, nut, seed. Just make sure to not exceed the quantities listed.  
  • For the perfect fluffy and light crumb, avoid slicing the bread while still warm or it might turn gummy on you. Let it cool on a cooling rack. 
  • While baking don't open the oven door and certainly don't take the lid off the pot. 

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