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No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread with Honey Recipe

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4 from 42 reviews

This No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread with Honey is a rustic, artisan-style loaf that combines the natural sweetness of dried cranberries and honey with the crunch of walnuts. It requires minimal effort—no kneading involved—and benefits from long, slow fermentation for deep flavor and a chewy crust. Baked in a Dutch oven, this bread develops a beautiful crispy crust and soft, moist crumb, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or as an accompaniment to meals.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 3 tablespoons for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons liquid honey, plus more for brushing after baking or vegan honey substitute

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the flour. Add the instant yeast to one side of the bowl and the sea salt to the opposite side. Stir yeast into the flour on its side of the bowl and salt on its side separately to prevent salt from killing the yeast. Combine the mixture thoroughly.
  2. Add Nuts and Cranberries: Add the chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to the flour mixture and toss well to coat and evenly distribute.
  3. Combine Wet Ingredients: Measure the room temperature water, mix in the honey with a fork until combined.
  4. Mix Dough: Pour the water and honey mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be rough and sticky; no kneading is required.
  5. First Rise: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, leaving room for the dough to rise. Place in a warm, draft-free spot and let the dough rise for 12-18 hours until doubled in size.
  6. Preheat Oven and Dutch Oven: After the long rise, preheat your oven to 425°F (or 410°F convection, or 400°F if your oven runs hot). Place a 6 to 7-quart Dutch oven with the lid on into the cold oven to heat as the oven preheats. If your Dutch oven interior is dark, reduce the temperature to 400°F.
  7. Shape the Dough: Dust a piece of parchment paper with flour on the counter. Rub flour on your hands, scrape the dough from the bowl, and gently form it into a round loaf on the parchment. Dust the top with flour.
  8. Second Rise: Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and let rise about 45 minutes while the oven and pot finish preheating.
  9. Transfer to Dutch Oven: Remove plastic wrap and trim excess parchment around the dough. Carefully lift the dough with the parchment and place it inside the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
  10. Bake Covered: Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes without opening the oven or lid to trap steam that forms the crust.
  11. Finish Baking Uncovered: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and crisp.
  12. Cool and Glaze: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. Brush extra honey on top if desired. Allow the bread to cool almost completely before slicing to prevent gumminess.

Notes

  • Quick Rise Method: Use 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast instead of instant yeast; rise dough for 2 hours, then proceed as usual.
  • If dough is too wet and fluid, add an extra 1/3 cup flour to create a shaggy but slightly sticky dough. This can be done after first rise before shaping as well.
  • Adding 1 tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten with flour optionally helps create a more voluminous, less dense loaf.
  • Use a 6 or 7-quart Dutch oven or any oven-safe covered pot for best results.
  • If the bottom crust burns or hardens excessively, try lowering oven temperature by 25°F, use convection, or a lighter-colored pot interior.
  • Oven temperatures can vary; monitor bread about 15 minutes into baking if your oven runs hot or uses convection.
  • Use an oven thermometer to verify accuracy and adjust temperature accordingly.
  • Dust the bottom of your pot or the parchment paper with flour to prevent sticking.
  • If bread becomes too brown in the last 15 minutes, remove from oven early to avoid burning.

Find it online: https://deliciousyum.com/no-knead-cranberry-walnut-bread-with-honey-recipe/