Yeasted bread has never been easier. This simple method produces the most beautiful and crusty cranberry nut no-knead bread with very little hands-on work! If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
“Homemade bread” and “easy” are terms that don’t typically go hand-in-hand. When you think of homemade bread, you think difficult, right? This recipe, however, will completely change that thought. I realize that’s a pretty big promise, but I’m confident your perception of homemade bread will switch from “nope! too much work” to “wow, I CAN do this.”
One reader, Kris, commented: “This is an excellent recipe—bread made easy. Delicious bites full of flavor from the cranberries and walnuts. Will keep this forever. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Linda, commented: “This recipe is fantastic. The bread had a wonderful crust and great flavor. The instructions were super thorough at explaining everything for a novice bread maker. ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread:
- Just 7 simple ingredients
- Hardly any hands-on time
- Variety of textures: crispy crusty exterior, soft and chewy interior, and plenty of dried cranberries and nuts in every slice
- An egg-free baking recipe and dairy-free recipe
- Tastes incredible warm with a swipe of honey butter.
This bread, like my homemade artisan bread, seeded oat bread, asiago-crusted skillet bread, and olive bread, has all the bells and whistles of a fresh-from-the-bakery cranberry nut bread, and takes very little effort. If you are new to working with yeast, or simply feeling a little lazy, this recipe is for you.
Making this loaf will leave you plenty of time to loaf around. 😉
Just 7 Ingredients for This Cranberry Nut Bread
You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make homemade bread, and you might already know that if you’ve tried this sandwich bread recipe. You only need 7 ingredients to make this bread:
- Flour: Flour gives the bread its structure. You can use all-purpose or bread flour. I typically reach for bread flour because it yields a slightly chewier bread.
- Salt: Pick up some coarse sea salt; I find the flavor is lacking with regular table salt.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). I always use Platinum Yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast with dough improvers. You don’t need much here—only 1/2 teaspoon—because of the long rise time.
- Nuts: Walnuts or pecans—baker’s choice!
- Dried Cranberries: I love the chewy texture of dried cranberries here. Don’t use fresh or frozen cranberries, because this dough is too wet. Raisins would work too, or try chopping up dried apricots or dates.
- Water: I normally encourage you to use warm liquid with yeast because it helps the yeast work faster. For this recipe, you want the water to be about 95ºF (35ºC), because we’re encouraging a nice slow rise to build flavor. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.
- Honey: Honey adds flavor and helps give the bread its springy, sponge-like texture.
By the way, if you enjoy honey in your homemade bread, you’ll love this no-knead honey oat bread because the flavor really stands out. The process is also very similar to today’s easy bread recipe. And both breads are delicious warm or toasted and topped with this easy homemade honey butter.
Overview: 5 Steps to Make No-Knead Bread
This no-work, no-knead, professional-bread-at-home concept originated with Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC. It’s all very basic ingredients, but his method is unique, which includes an 18-hour rise time. 18 hours?! Yes! Don’t be nervous, this 18 hours gives the dough a chance to ferment. And the fermentation time requires absolutely nothing from you. Just set it on your counter and forget about it until the next day. We use this same method for homemade English muffins. In both recipes, the magic happens when you’re not looking!
Step 1: Stir ingredients together. Don’t even break out your mixer.
This will be a super sticky dough. Remember, do NOT be tempted to add more flour. It will stick to your hands. That’s nothing a quick wash can’t fix!
Step 2: Cover the dough and ignore it.
Let the dough rise at room temperature for 12–18 hours. This recipe is very forgiving. Any normal-ish room temperature is fine. You’ll know that the dough is finished rising when it has about doubled in size and air bubbles have formed on top. Like this:
Step 3: The dough will still be super sticky after rising. That’s ok! Using lightly floured hands, form the sticky dough into a ball and place on a large piece of parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or bread lame, then allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Preheat a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. You’ll bake the bread in a pre-heated (super-hot!) Dutch oven, which helps form a crusty exterior. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can use any oven-safe heavy-duty pot with a lid.
Step 5: Bake for about 35 minutes. For an accurate doneness test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
FAQ: Why Bake No-Knead Bread in a Dutch Oven?
Baking the bread with the lid on traps steam inside the pot, creating that perfectly crisp crust. A lid is the secret to this bread recipe’s success! You won’t regret picking up a Dutch oven.
No Dutch oven? No problem.
While baking the bread in a Dutch oven is key to this bread’s texture, you can get around it. Instead, place the rounded dough on a parchment paper-lined or generously floured nonstick baking pan. No need to pre-heat the pan like you do the Dutch oven. While the oven preheats and the scored loaf is resting, boil a kettle of water. After the oven is preheated, place scored dough/baking pan on the center rack. Then place a shallow metal baking/roasting pan or cast-iron skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan; do not use glass) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3–4 cups of boiling water into it, and then quickly shut the oven door to trap the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust. This is exactly how I bake 4-ingredient artisan bread.
Step 6: Enjoy a slice of warm, fresh bread you won’t believe you made from scratch.
This lightly honey-sweetened cranberry nut bread is fabulous for breakfast, toasted with butter or honey butter. Or serve it alongside a charcuterie board with a soft cheese like brie or goat cheese, or this white cheddar cranberry pecan cheese ball (yum!).
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
PrintCrusty Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 20 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf; 10-12 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Yeasted bread has never been easier. This simple mixing method produces the most beautiful and crusty cranberry nut no-knead bread with very little hands-on work! If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390g) bread flour or all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (I find the flavor lacking with regular table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast
- 3/4 cup (95g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- 3/4 cup (105g) dried cranberries*
- 1 Tablespoon (21g) honey
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F (35°C))
Instructions
- *No need to grease the bowl, and do not use a mixer in this step because the dough is too sticky for a mixer.* In a large bowl using a silicone spatula, stir the first 5 ingredients together. Mix the honey and water together, then pour on top. Mix to combine. The dough will be very sticky; don’t be tempted to add more flour, you want a sticky dough. Gently shape into a ball as best you can.
- Cover tightly. Set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine) and allow to rise for 12–18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and may have air bubbles on the surface.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper. (Large enough to fit inside your pot and one that is safe for high heat. I use this parchment and it’s never been an issue.) Place the ball of dough + parchment inside a bowl so the dough doesn’t spread out as it rests. Using a very sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a bread lame, gently score an X into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- During this rest, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C). (Yes, very hot!) Place your Dutch oven (with the lid) or heavy-duty pot in the oven for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and placing it all—the parchment paper included—inside the pot. Cover with the lid.
- Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8–10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown. How to test for doneness: Give the warm bread a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
- Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough takes up to 18 hours to rise, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin 1 day ahead of time. To freeze, bake and cool the bread, wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Mix the dough together as instructed in step 1. Wrap the sticky dough in lightly oiled plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. Thaw at room temperature, then let it rest/rise as instructed in step 2. Proceed with step 3 and the rest of the recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven or Le Creuset Dutch Oven | Parchment Paper | Bread Lame | Instant-Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- Dutch Oven: Use a 5- to 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or any large oven-safe pot with an oven-safe lid. If your Dutch oven is smaller than 5 quarts, you can halve the recipe (instructions remain the same, just halve each ingredient) or make the dough as instructed in step 1, shape the dough into 2 balls instead of 1 ball, and bake them one at a time in your smaller Dutch oven. While the 2nd dough waits, lightly cover and keep at room temperature. The bake times in the recipe above (25 mins and then 8–10 mins) will both be a little shorter for the smaller loaves.
- No Dutch oven? See post above for alternative.
- Flour: You can use either bread flour or all-purpose flour here. Bread flour will produce a slightly chewier bread. Feel free to substitute up to 1 cup (around 130g) of the flour for whole-wheat flour. Do not use all whole-wheat flour, as the bread will taste quite dense and heavy.
- Yeast: If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry. I’ve never had a problem using active dry yeast in this recipe, and with no other changes needed. Works wonderfully!
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries (or raisins) are best for this wet dough. I do not recommend frozen or fresh cranberries.
- Parchment Paper: If your parchment paper has a maximum temperature that’s lower than the temperature called for in the recipe, bake the bread at that temperature. Bake the bread a little longer to compensate for the lower temperature.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Recipe adapted from Red Star Yeast, method originally from Jim Lahey.
Love this bread! I substituted raisins and Granny Smith apples for cranberries. Half the time my bread is a little dense but I don’t know what to tinker with to try and make it more airy. Also it does not double in size while rising. Thoughts? What should I adjust? It was left 14 hours to rise
Hi Adrian, we’re so glad you loved it! This bread is a bit denser than a kneaded bread, but how are you measuring your flour? Make sure to spoon and level instead of scooping to prevent too much flour in your dough. This could result in dense bread that doesn’t rise. Be extra careful when handling the dough to not pop those air bubbles. Referencing this Baking with Yeast Guide may be helpful in the future as well. Finally, the wet apples could be adding too much moisture to the bread, so make sure to blot them dry before adding to the dough. Hope this helps and thanks for giving this one a try!
Is there an easy kneaded bread recipe like this one that has fruit and nuts that you can recommend?
Hi Adrian, you can try this multigrain bread and add dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.
Hi Sally, you answered earlier a baking cloche will work for this recipe.
Are you sure it won’t spread out too much ? Mine is flat with virtually no lip.
Nothing to support the parchment or raw dough (until covered).
Thanks
Hi Richard, you’ll bake the bread with the lid on, like the Dutch oven instructions, which will keep the dough in place as the exterior/crust sets. What is the brand of baking cloche you have so I can search for it and check.
Made the cranberry nut bread! Great !!!
So glad you enjoyed! One of my favorite breads to bake.
Wow, this bread is awesome and so simple. I’ve never made a yeast bread without kneading. Absolutely yummy!
I am allergic to nuts. Any suggestions for an altalternative?
Hi JoAnn, you can leave them out.
i can’t eat nuts. Should I just leave them out or do I need to increase the amount of cranberries?
Hi Sally, you can leave out the nuts. No need to replace with more dried cranberries. (There’s plenty!)
Hi, Sally! I have had a similar bread, only with pecans. Delicious! The same company also made it in rolls, which for some reason, I liked better. Could you please modify the recipe to make rolls?
By the way, I really enjoy your website!
Hi Jeanne, so glad you enjoy this website! We have never tried making rolls with this dough so we can’t offer guidance for baking them. If you try it we suggest you use the water bath method as described in the post above in the section titled “No Dutch Oven? No Problem.” Let us know how they turn out!
How much whole wheat flour could you use…40%?
Hi Chris, see recipe Note. I don’t recommend using more than 1 cup (about 130g) whole wheat flour. You can try 40%, but the bread will taste denser.
Can it rise for 24 hours, from one evening to the next? I don’t want to wait until the weekend!
Hi Mary, We don’t suggest letting the dough sit for longer. If 18 hours is difficult for your schedule, you can make the bread dough when it’s convenient for you and freeze it! See recipe notes for details.
Can you make it a cranberry orange?
Hi Maria, absolutely, the zest from 1 medium or large orange would be great!
Can I use dried unsweetened cherries instead of cranberries? Can I omit nuts and use chocolate chips?
Hi Diane, yes, both of those swaps would be delicious!
Proofing – can I place it in my proofing box?
Hi Peggy, if the proofing box temperature isn’t too warm. You want it close to room temperature, give or take (68°F or a few degrees warmer would be fine). Because a lot of the flavor is developed over the extended rise time.
I wonder how I can adapt this for using sourdough starter instead of yeast?
Hi Anne, we haven’t tested a sourdough starter here, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
Will it hurt if it rises longer than 18 hours?
Hi Diane, We don’t suggest letting the dough sit for longer. If 18 hours is difficult for your schedule, you can make the bread dough when it’s convenient for you and freeze it! See recipe notes for details.
Could I use a baking cloche? Received one as a gift several years ago, and would love to use it.
Absolutely!
Delicious with orange zest too! Very “more-ish” as my British MIL likes to say.
Got everything in the bowl this morning went to grab the cranberries or cherries and they were gone so I improvised with apricots and walnuts, hopefully everything will come out just fine until I can buy some cranberries tomorrow.
Hi Mary Ann, dried apricots should work just fine. We’d recommend chopping them up a bit for smaller pieces similar to the cranberries, if you haven’t already started. We’d love to know how the bread turns out!
Can I use oat flour? My daughter can’t have regular flour, and I wanted to make this for her.
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested this recipe with oat flour but some readers have reported success. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I don’t want to brag…. but, this turned out so unbelievably great! I swapped about 10% of flour with wheat flour for more depth (going for the Whole Foods vibe). Fantastic recipe, thank you Sally! Thank you!
Sally, thanks for your recipe as I tried this morning for Sunday service congregation and it tastes good and not difficult for beginners!
Do you think it’s possible to substitute diced figs for the craisins in this recipe?
Hi Annette, if they are diced dry figs, that shouldn’t be a problem! We don’t recommend fresh figs, though.
I have a 7 qt Dutch oven rated for 400 degrees. Recipe says 475 degrees. Can I make the bread at 400 degrees? Thank you.
Hi D, you can make the bread at a lower temperature, keeping in mind that it will take a bit longer to bake through.
My husband and I love this recipe. It’s his favorite. Just ate the last piece and I’m ready to put together another one. It’s so easy and looks delicious.
Hi. I have had two failed attempts at this recipe. I know my yeast is fine because I tested it. When the second loaf came out flat and gray, I started thinking….what could be killing the yeast? I keep my nuts in the freezer and i did not bring them to room temp. Could that be ruining the dough?
Hi Christine, the frozen nuts could be keeping the dough too cold. That is the only issue I can think of, because I usually use room temperature walnuts. Try bringing them to room temperature before using if you want to try this dough again.
Warning! Don’t use fine salt
I was so sad I had to toss it!
Hi! I’ve always had trouble when it comes to bread because I find it too dense no matter what recipe I use. Do you know of anyways I can try to fix this going forward?
Hi Maya! Our Baking With Yeast Guide is a helpful resource with lots of tips.
Hi Sally, I’ve made this bread lots of times. I find the bottom always burns because of the high heat. I bake mine in a Dutch oven and put a cookie sheet underneath it. Can I lower the temp at all? P s. I love this bread!
Hi Laurie, if the bottom is getting too hard/burnt, try lowering your oven temperature by 25 degrees and lower your oven rack as well. The bake time will be a bit longer since you lowered the oven temperature. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Hi, i made the bread using your Dutch oven technique and it looks amazing however the parchment paper is glued to the bottom of the bread. Would you know why. Thank you.
Hi Linda, if you try this again, lightly flour the parchment paper or lightly flour the bottom of the dough before placing on the parchment.
Hi! I love this bread!!!! I wanted to make this with a sourdough starter. How would you recommend i do it?
Hi Catalina, we haven’t used a sourdough starter for this bread, but let us know if you try anything!
I appreciate the tips you give with the recipe. I didn’t realize parchment paper had a max temperature limit, for example. I don’t use parchment much, and never thought about it. Also, I appreciate your instructions for backing the bread without a Dutch oven. I followed your recipe and it was amazingly delicious! Thank you very much!
This bread turned out wonderful! And it was so easy. Thank you.