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Cranberry Pecan No-Knead Bread is a perfect breakfast that is not only easy to prepare but also delicious. A Dutch oven and slow rise is the secret to this no-knead bread recipe.

This no-knead cranberry pecan bread is a bakery-style bread easily made at home. A Dutch oven and long rise time is the secret to this artisan-style no-knead bread recipe.

If you’ve been following my baking adventures here on the blog, you’ll already know how obsessed I am with no-knead artisan-style bread recipes! When I am crunched for time and want a fresh loaf of bread for dinner, I always turn to my Faster No-Knead Bread Recipe. My husband’s favorite variation is Cinnamon Raisin No-Knead Bread; he loves toasting it! But my personal favorite, so far, is this Cranberry Pecan flavored variation.

Just like the other versions of no-knead bread, you’ll find here on Home in the Finger Lakes; this recipe creates an impressive artisanal loaf with a crispy-crackly crust while the inside stays soft and fluffy.

No-Knead bread can be mixed up pretty quickly, but you are going to want to do it about a day before you plan to serve it. The dough needs a lot of time to rise .

The slow-rise baking technique create loaves of bread with a beautiful artisanal crust while remaining light and fluffy on the inside with very little effort on your part. After a long, slow rise the bread dough is baked in a dutch oven which traps heat and moisture, allowing your bread to rise fully, develop a lovely crust color, and add a slight shininess to the exterior. The cranberries and pecans in this recipe add a wonderful flavor and texture to this bread.

Homemade Cranberry Pecan No-Knead Bread Ingredients

• Instant Yeast:  If you buy your yeast in the strip of three 0.25 oz packets, you will need less than 1 of the packets. After you measure out ½ teaspoon of yeast for the dough, fold up the packet and pop it in the freezer until you are ready to bake your next loaf. The yeast should remain viable for up to 4 months.
• Room Temperature Water: Typical bread recipes call for warm water, but because we are looking for a slow and steady rise, water with a temperature of around 70°F (21°C) is excellent. The exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not icy cold, too hot, or warm.
• Honey: I like to add a tablespoon of honey to add a little extra sweetness and give the yeast a little extra support to promote a better rise. 
• Flour: You can use all-purpose or bread flour for this recipe. Both options work great, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand. 
• Salt: To help balance the flavors in the bread. 
• Dried Sweetened Cranberries: Add as much or as little as you’d like. If you are a fan of their sweet tart flavor, you can add up to a whole cup to this recipe.  
• Pecans: Nuts add a nice flavor and texture to this bread. You can use walnuts or pecans, or if you are not a fan of nuts, you can omit them.

How To Make Cranberry Pecan No-Knead Bread

• Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, add the water and honey, then mix together until no pockets of dry ingredients remain. The dough will look quite loose and shaggy and won’t hold its shape well, but that is what you are looking for. 
• Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Add the dried cranberries and nuts, then mix the dough gently and distribute the dried fruit and nuts throughout the dough.
• Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for about 12 to 18 hours. The longer it rests, the more flavor and better texture it will have. See my tips below for good resting locations if your kitchen tends to be drafty.  
• Heat the oven and Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven inside your oven, then set the oven to 450°F. Wait for 20-30 minutes for the oven to heat while the dough rests. If the dough has spread more than you would like, use your hands to shape it into a tighter ball just before baking. 
• Shape the dough. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Shape the dough into a round ball by folding the edges towards the center to create a loaf. If the dough is too sticky to work with or feels too loose at any point, just sprinkle the dough with extra flour. Once the loaf has been shaped, lightly flour the top of the dough ball and then carefully flip it upside-down onto a piece of parchment paper so that the smooth side is on top. Lightly flour the top of the dough ball, then loosely cover it with plastic wrap to rest while the oven heats for about 30 minutes.
• Score the Loaf. Right before you place the dough ball in the hot dutch oven, use a sharp knife at a 90-degree angle and score an X on the top of the loaf. Each score mark should be about 3 1/2 inches long and about ¼” deep. Using a mister, spray bottle, clean toothbrush, or pastry brush, lightly mist (or brush) the top of the bread with water.
• Bake. Once the oven is done preheating and has reached  450°F, carefully, with oven mitts to remove the Dutch oven from the oven. It will be scorchingly hot – be careful! Lift the edges of the parchment to carefully transfer the dough ball (along with the parchment) to the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven lid back on the pan and place it in the oven with oven mitts. Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and bake for 10-20 more minutes until the crust gets as light or as golden brown and crispy as you like. 
• Enjoy. Remove the dutch oven from the oven, uncover, and then carefully lift up the edges of the parchment to transfer the bread to a wire cooling rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes, then slice and serve.

More Easy Bread Recipes

Looking for more easy bread recipes to try? Here are a few of my faves!

• Faster No-Knead Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin No-Knead Bread
• Old Fashioned Sour Cream Banana Bread

Cranberry Pecan No-Knead Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 18 hours

Total Time: 19 hours 5 minutes

Cranberry Pecan No-Knead Bread is a perfect breakfast that is not only easy to prepare but also delicious. A Dutch oven and slow rise is the secret to this no-knead bread recipe.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1-2 tablespoons if necessary)
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. While stirring with a wooded spoon, gradually add the water and honey, stir until incorporated. If the dough looks to thin add add 1-2 more tablespoons flour if needed.

1. Stir in the raisins and walnuts, mix the dough gently and distribute the dried fruit and nuts throughout the dough.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a draft-free area at room temperature until the surface of the dough is covered with tiny bubbles, and the dough has more than doubled in size. This usually takes about 18 hours or so.
3. When the dough is ready, place a Dutch oven into the oven and turn it on to 450° degrees. Allow it to heat in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Shape the dough into a round ball by folding the edges towards the center to create a loaf. If the dough is too sticky to work with or feels too loose at any point, just sprinkle the dough with extra flour.
5. Once the loaf has been shaped, lightly flour the top of the dough ball and then carefully flip it upside-down onto a large square of parchment paper (big enough to cover the bottom of your Dutch oven).Lightly dust dough with flour, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
6. Before baking, use a sharp knife at a 90-degree angle score an X on the top of the loaf. Each score mark should be about 3 1/2 inches long and about ¼" deep. Using a mister, spray bottle, clean toothbrush, or pastry brush, lightly mist (or brush) the top of the bread with water.
7. Very carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Place the shaped dough, cover, and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes or until the top is lovely and dark (but not burnt).
8. Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf bread to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to prevent a gummy crumb.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Blue Enamel Dutch Oven (Blue)
• 
  Danish Dough Whisk,13 Inch Stainless Dutch Bread Whisk, Kitchen Bread Mixer Whisk Scraper For Cooking Bread, Pastry, Dumpling And Pizza Dough Making
• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 440mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 6g

Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates. Please see my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.