Rustic Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

With a soft and airy crumb studded with cranberries and walnuts, you’ll fall in love with this subtly sweet Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread. Whether toasted and slathered with homemade cultured butter or paired with chicken salad, this bread will elevate your sourdough baking routine to delicious new heights.

With the earthy walnuts and tart cranberries, the slightly sweet crumb, and the delicate, golden-brown crust, this loaf is a winter staple in our house. We love eating thick slices on their own or toasting them slathered with butter. Luckily, with dried cranberries and walnuts accessible throughout the year, you can whip up this loaf anytime the craving strikes.

Why I love this recipe

• Great way to infuse some creativity into basic sourdough bread
• Mixed by hand, no stand mixer required
• Crispy, golden brown crust with a creamy, soft crumb
• Packed with earthy walnuts and tart cranberries
• Delicious with savory dishes or sweet toppings

Adding inclusions to bread

Although this loaf has been a household favorite for years, the main reason I’m only sharing the recipe now is I’ve had trouble with getting the cranberries and walnuts evenly distributed throughout the crumb in the past.

In my previous tests, I would add the mix-ins during lamination or I would mix it up all together with the flour. Both methods fell short, leading to an uneven distribution of the mix-ins, leaving several spots devoid of nuts or cranberries. In some instances, the crumb would be too dense or the mix-ins would break through the surface of the dough. 

I realized I was overcomplicating the process! To keep the crumb light and airy, I incorporated autolyse which kickstarts gluten formation and helps prevent the cranberries and nuts from breaking through the dough. I also fold the fillings in early, followed by subsequent coil folds that evenly and gently distribute them throughout the dough.

What you need

Flour: This recipe blends all-purpose flour, bread flour, and whole wheat to create the perfect balance of structure, texture, and flavor. Avoid using 100 percent whole wheat flour as it can result in a dense loaf. While 100 percent bread flour is an option, it may compromise the desired tender and creamy texture leading to excessively chewy bread.
Active sourdough starter: You’ll need a mature, active bubbly starter for this recipe. Feed your starter the night before or at least 4 hours before you make your dough.
Dried cranberries: Both sweetened or unsweetened cranberries will work for this recipe. Don’t skip soaking as dried fruit has a tendency to absorb water from the dough potentially resulting in a tough, dry loaf.
Walnuts: Toasting your walnuts will intensify their nutty flavor. Feel free to substitute pecans.

See recipe card for detailed ingredient information.

Variations

• Pecans are a great alternative for walnuts in this recipe.
• Substitute Raisins, dried cherries or blueberries for the cranberries.
• Add orange or lemon zest to the dough.
• Soak the cranberries in Port Wine or Bourbon to add more flavor.
• Add some chocolate chips for a sweeter variation.

Step-by-step instruction

Baking this sourdough cranberry bread is a two-day process, with most of the steps being passive. Make sure you read the instructions from start to finish before beginning the recipe. 

STEP 1 Prep: Activate sourdough starter, toast walnuts and soak cranberries (image 1). Mix flours and water, autolyse for 30 minutes (image 2).

STEP 2 Make the dough: Fold the sourdough starter and salt into the autolysed dough (image 3). Continue mixing until the starter and salt are completely incorporated, transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled container (image 4). Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

STEP 3 Add mix-ins: Add half of the mix-ins to the top of the dough. Pick up the edge farthest away from you and fold it over the mix-ins (image 5). Turn the container 90 degrees, add in the remaining mix-ins and fold the dough over once more. Gather the dough into a ball and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes (image 6).

STEP 4 Coil fold: Lift the dough using your fingertips until the ends release from the container (image 7). Lightly set the dough back down into the bowl and tuck the ends under (image 8). Cover and let the dough rest for 30 mins.

STEP 5 Bench rest: Let the dough rest in a warm place, untouched for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the dough looks puffy and feels bubbly.

STEP 6 Shape: Preshape your dough by rounding it into a ball and let the dough rest covered with a clean tea towel for 30 minutes (image 9). Shape the dough into a round boule (image 10).

STEP 7 Final rise: Wrap the banneton or proofing basket in a plastic bag. Transfer the shaped dough to proof in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 24 hours).

STEP 8 Bake: Score the dough (image 11). Bake the dough at 450 F in a Dutch oven covered for 25 to 30 minutes and uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes (image 12).

Recipe FAQs

More sourdough bread recipes you may like

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Recipe

Hannah Dela Cruz

Indulge in the irresistible flavors of our Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread, the perfect fusion of tart cranberries and earthy walnuts.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Proof Time 12 hours hrs

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 175 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Dutch oven
• ▢
  Kitchen scale
• ▢
  Round banneton basket
• ▢
  wire rack
• ▢
  instant read thermometer

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Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

Soaker

• ▢ 75 grams water
• ▢ 70 grams dried cranberries

Dough

• ▢ 180 grams all-purpose flour
• ▢ 120 grams bread flour
• ▢ 60 grams whole wheat flour
• ▢ 282 grams water
• ▢ 113 grams active sourdough starter
• ▢ 7 grams salt

Mix-ins

• ▢ 75 grams walnuts toasted, see note

Click US Customary to view volume measurements

Instructions

 

The night before

• Soak the cranberries: Combine cranberries with water in a small container. Cover and leave the cranberries to soak overnight (see note).
  75 grams water, 70 grams dried cranberries

Day 1

• Make the dough: Mix the flours and water together in a large mixing bowl using a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no traces of dry flour remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  180 grams all-purpose flour, 120 grams bread flour, 60 grams whole wheat flour, 282 grams water
• Fold the active sourdough starter and salt into the dough. Knead the ingredients in until you no longer feel any grains of salt. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly greased container and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
  113 grams active sourdough starter, 7 grams salt
• Drain the cranberries and transfer them to a clean tea towel or paper towel to suck up any excess moisture.
• Add the mix-ins: Add half of the cranberries and nuts on top of the dough. Pick up one side of the dough and fold it over the mix-ins. Repeat with the remaining filling, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  75 grams walnuts
• Coil Fold: Perform 3 sets of coil foils in 30 minute intervals. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place in between sets.

  To perform a coil fold, working with the dough inside the bowl, lift the center of the dough up with your fingertips until the ends release from the container. Lightly set the dough back down into the bowl and tuck the ends under.
• Bench rest: After the last coil fold, let the dough rise untouched until the dough looks well risen and bubbly, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
• Pre shape the dough: Place the proofed dough onto a lightly-floured clean counter. Using a bench scraper, turn the dough over and lightly round it into a tight ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Shape the dough: Turn the dough over once more, flatten it out into a rectangle. Fold the side closest to you towards the center and the top of the dough over the bottom flap. Fold the sides over each other. Flip the dough and round it into a boule. Place the dough into a prepared banneton with the seam side up.
• Cold proof: Cover the banneton with plastic wrap. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to proof overnight (about 8 to 16 hours).

Day 2

• Prep: Preheat the oven to 500 F with a Dutch oven inside.
• Score the dough: Turn the proofed dough out on a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the loaf with the pattern or design of your choice, and make sure the cut is at least a ¼-inch deep.
• Bake: Transfer the dough into the Dutch oven with the parchment paper.
• Turn the oven temperature down to 450 F, bake for 25-30 minutes covered and 10-15 minutes uncovered.
• The loaf is baked when it registers at least 190 F when probed with an instant-read thermometer and reaches your desired level of browning.
• Enjoy: Transfer the baked loaf to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
• Store: Store any leftover bread for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tips

These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.

Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.

Notes

• If you forget to soak your cranberries overnight, use boiling water and let them rehydrate for 20 minutes. Make sure your cranberries have cooled before adding them to your dough or it may harm the yeast.
• Toast walnuts on a baking sheet at 350 F for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant.
• Use a mixing bowl lined with a tea towel dusted with flour if you don’t have a banneton. Or bake your bread in a loaf pan.
• If you have trouble with burning the bottom of your bread, transfer it to a baking sheet for the second part of baking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.

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