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Cranberry Pecan Bread Recipe

A no-knead loaf with an overnight rise, baked in a covered Dutch oven until the crust is deep golden and crackly. Toasted pecans and tart dried cranberries run all through it.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Rise Time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 ½ cups water

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 8 minutes. Set them aside to cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the 1 cup bread flour, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon salt together until well combined.
    A glass bowl filled with flour sits on a countertop next to a red striped towel, wooden spoon, and small bowls of ingredients.
  • Stir in the dried 1/2 cup dried cranberries and the 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted.
    A glass bowl filled with flour, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, yeast, and salt on a light countertop.
  • Add the 1 1/2 cups water in increments, mixing between additions, until the dough comes together.
    A glass bowl with flour, chopped nuts, and water being mixed with a wooden spoon on a light countertop next to a red striped cloth.
  • It will look rough and choppy and feel very sticky and elastic, with no dry or crumbly spots. If the dough gets a little too wet, work in a bit more flour.
    A glass bowl of mixed dough with dried fruit and nuts, a wooden spoon inside, and a red striped cloth nearby on a light surface.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let it sit 12 to 16 hours. A microwave makes a good draft-free spot.
    A ball of bread dough with dried fruit rests on parchment paper, partially covered by a red and white striped cloth.
  • Place a Dutch oven and its lid into a cold oven. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and let the pot heat for 45 minutes.
  • Flour a large wooden board and turn the dough out onto it. Using a lightly floured bench scraper, fold the dough in half, turn it 90 degrees, fold one side over by a third, then fold the opposite side over by a third so the two sides overlap in the middle. Shape the dough into a round by pushing it under and up until it is smooth.
    Ball of floured bread dough with cranberries on a wooden surface, surrounded by scattered flour and a metal bench scraper.
  • Overlap two pieces of parchment paper into an X and set the dough on top. Cover with a dish towel and let it rest while the oven finishes heating. Trim any excess parchment so it does not scorch.
    Round loaf of unbaked bread dough with cranberries and nuts sits on parchment paper in a black Dutch oven, with a red-striped cloth nearby.
  • Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and set the lid aside. Using the parchment, quickly lower the dough into the pot. With a sharp knife held at a 45 degree angle, cut one large crescent-shaped slash across the top of the dough.
  • Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes, until the crust turns a deep golden color. Flick the top of the loaf with a finger. It will sound hollow when it is ready.
    Round loaf of rustic bread with a golden crust sits on parchment paper in a large pot, with red striped towel and small bowls of ingredients nearby.
  • Lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool it on a wire rack until completely cool before slicing.

Notes

Add the water in increments and mix between additions. Humidity changes how much water the flour needs, so if the dough gets a little too wet, add in a bit more flour.
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