Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread
This Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread is loaded with dried or fresh cranberries and crunchy toasted walnuts. It’s an easy fall sourdough bread with a hearty, nutty flavor that’s perfect for baking all season long.
Servings 12 slices
Calories 215kcal
Equipment
- Straight-sided container (optional)
- Proofing basket or bowl lined with tea towel
- Bread sling or parchment paper
- Lame or sharp knife
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ cups (360 grams) water
- ½ cup (100 grams) active sourdough starter
- 4 cups (480 grams) bread flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons (10 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt measure in grams or reduce to 1 ¾ teaspoons if using Morton's brand or table salt
- ½ cup (50 grams) fresh cranberries or ½ cup (60 grams) dried cranberries
- Rice flour for proofing basket
- 2 ice cubes for steam
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter 6–12 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be bubbly, active, and at or near its peak when you’re ready to use it. In a cooler kitchen (60–65°F), this may take closer to 12 hours, while a warmer kitchen (around 75°F) may take about 6 hours.
- Add the walnuts to a small skillet over low heat and toast until fragrant and lightly golden, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. Transfer them to a small bowl and let them cool completely before adding them to the dough.½ cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water and active sourdough starter until the starter is mostly dissolved. Add the bread flour and salt and mix until no dry flour remains and a sticky dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.4 cups (480 grams) bread flour, 1 ½ cups (360 grams) water, ½ cup (100 grams) active sourdough starter, 3 ½ teaspoons (10 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- Lightly wet your hands. Sprinkle about one-quarter of the cranberries and cooled walnuts over the surface. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides, adding another quarter of the mix-ins with each fold. Once all of the mix-ins have been added, gather the dough into a loose ball, place it seam-side down, and cover. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold process 3 more times, resting the dough for 15 minutes between each round, for a total of 4 rounds.½ cup (50 grams) fresh cranberries
- Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in size, looks noticeably puffy, and has bubbles throughout. This can take anywhere from 4–12+ hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your starter.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently stretch it into a large rectangle. Fold one short side toward the center, then fold the opposite short side over it, like folding a letter. Fold the two long sides toward the center in the same way. Flip the dough seam-side down. Using your hands or a bench scraper, gently pull the dough toward yourself across the work surface to create surface tension and shape it into a smooth, tight ball.
- Lightly dust a proofing basket with rice flour. You can also use a bowl lined with a clean tea towel. Transfer the dough to the basket seam-side up, pinching the seam closed if needed. Cover and refrigerate for 12–16 hours.Rice flour
- Place a lidded Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Once the oven reaches temperature, let the Dutch oven continue heating for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper or a bread sling and score the top with a lame or sharp knife. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Add the ice cubes for steam, then carefully lower the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 5–10 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown and reaches your desired level of doneness.2 ice cubes
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
A straight-sided container makes it much easier to see how much the dough has risen during bulk fermentation.
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 335mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 2.6mg
Did you try this recipe?Let me know! Comment below, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram @everydayhomemadebyashley.
