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, pizza 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.
Print
Crusty Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread
- Prep Time: 30 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. (Note that in the video below, I add the honey to the dry ingredients instead of mixing first with water, but you can do it either way.) 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.) Using a very sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a bread lame, gently score an X into the top. Place the ball of dough + parchment inside a bowl so the dough doesn’t spread out as it rests. 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
do the dried cranberries need to be soaked before adding? I often see this in recipes so figured I’d ask
Hi Maggie, they do not, but you certainly can if you wish! Just make sure to pat dry before adding to the dough.
Hi, I’m making the bread now. Within 2h it has doubled its size. The temp in my country is 31deg c now. Can I bake it already or should I leave it in the fridge to 12h?
Hi Lyn, it sounds like the warmer weather is causing the bread to rise rapidly. You can place the dough in the refrigerator to slow the rise. Then let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (step 3) while waiting for the oven to preheat.
Thanks! I left it in the fridge and baked it this morning @ 230 deg c. That’s the highest temp my oven can go. I baked it for an extra 45 mins with a foil covering the top at the last 30 mins. The crust is hard to bite but tasty. The bread is chewy and looks a little undercooked still. What should I do to improve? Thanks!
Is it possible to leave it longer than the 18hours? I have a little one and I like the idea of making a few days in advance and keeping in the fridge.
Hi Emily, 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.
Hi, my husband wants cinnamon raisin bread. I know I can sub in raisins, but how much cinnamon could I add? Thank you so much, can’t wait to try this.
Hi Cinda, we’d recommend swapping the cranberries with raisins and adding 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon. You can then adjust for more/less for future batches. Let us know how it goes!
If I want to split it in to two loaves or possibly three smaller ones, would I split them after the 18 hour rise or later?
Hi Mary, yes, you will split them into smaller loaves in step 3.
Delicious bread! Simple and easy to make. Great smelling fresh bread in the house.
my dough is kind of dry…. should i add more water?
Hi Fina! You could try adding a little water until the dough resembles our step by step photos. For next time, make sure not to over-measure the flour by spooning and leveling (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Thank you!!!
I’d like to try this recipe but am wondering if there are tips for making the crust less chewy and crunchy – softer? Should I leave the lid on longer or shorter? Or add a bit more water to the dough?
Hi Sur, the crust here is intended to be chewy/crispy—that is the nature of this bread and method. For a slightly softer crust, you can bake on a baking sheet using the alternate method in the post. Omitting the steam option using a pan and boiling water will yield a less crispy crust, too.
This is wonderful! Came out perfectly even though my oven underperformed. Very similar to the Costco bread we love.
This bread is FABULOUS. If I want to split it in to two loaves or possibly three smaller ones, would I split them after the 18 hour rise or later.
I have tried this with GF four but it’s dense, is there something I can do differently to make it less dense? The bread does taste good and my celiac daughter likes it but it’s been great to get it more soft. Thanks so much!
Hi Terra, we’re not expert GF bakers, sorry we can’t help more! Maybe a recipe written specifically for GF flour would work best.
Sally, can I use this same recipe to make white bread and just nor add the the nuts and cranberries?
Hi Don, you can omit the cranberries and nuts or here is our artisan bread recipe instead.
Just started making this bread and I realized that I am going to be bringing this to a function and there will be young children, 1 under the age of 1 year. Children under 1 should not have honey. I replaced the honey with granulated sugar. I did not increase the liquid as I did not think 1 tablespoon less of liquid would make that much difference.
Could you please add a note about replacing granulated sugar for bakers that might have children that should not consume honey?
Made this very delicious turned out fantastic
I was skeptical about the flour- it was amazing. Trust the process. It looked like slop but is the best bread ever made.
Yes it is
Loved the results! Good to try with 25/25/50 (rye/barley/ap flour) and homemade granola (has dried fruit, nuts, seeds and oats) subbed for the cranberries and pecans tomorrow. A small ceramic lidded chicken fryer pot was the perfect size.
Made this with some stone ground wheat and bread flour and it came out great. This will become a staple!…looking forward to trying it with different nuts and dried fruits.
This recipe is so good. I did add some orange zest to mine and it was delicious! I love your site and have used many of your recipes. Thank you!
Can I bake this in loaf pan. I am needing the slices to be the same size for sandwiches?
Hi Laurie, You could certainly try a loaf pan or two. The bake time may vary depending on its size.
I desperately want to make this! Silly question, do I just add the dry yeast or do I have to do something to the yeast before adding to other ingredients? I’ve never made bread before! Thanks!
Hi Carbri, in this recipe, you simply mix in the dry yeast with the other ingredients as instructed in the first step. Hope your first time making homemade bread goes well!
This has become a staple in my home. I bake it so often that I’ve memorized the recipe . Thank you, Sally!
This bread is amazing! Make it often and it is perfect every time, except once when I put too hot of water in it. It’s an easy recipe for a non-baker like me! Everyone that I have given it to has loved it as well!
I would like to put this together at night and bake the next evening when I get home, but that would be more than 18 hours. Is 18 hours the max rise time?
Hi Martha, 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.
If you split the cranberry bread into 2 loaves, how long do you bake with the lid and then without.? My sister-in-law only has a 3 at dutch oven, and I’m not experienced enough to figure out how much less time to use. I love this recipe but have always had a large dutch oven.
Thanks!
Hi Fosemary! You definitely can make two smaller loaves. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep an eye on them in the oven and look for an internal temperature of 195°F.
This bread is so easy and everyone loves it. Most people can’t believe I made it. Freezes well. If you don’t think you can bake bread – this recipe will change your thinking.
Fantastic recipe. Great results every time. I would like to incorporate some rye flour the next time I make it. Do you think I can still get the same results with an overnight, room temperature rise? Any changes required in moisture content?
Hi Ron, we haven’t tested this recipe with rye flour but would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
What temperature should it bake at?
Hi Michelle, see step 4: “During this rest, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C)”
The recipe & oven settings were perfect! The bread looks and tastes so much better than store bought! Letting the dough raise +18 hours is key.
I love this bread, thank you for the recipe, super easy! I could live on this bread lol
Made this recipe after my daughter sent it to me. I used pecans and cranberries. My wife loved it. Because I was using a gas stove, I dropped the temp by 25 degrees and increased the cook time once the lid was off by 5 minutes. In the end, the bottom was slightly burned but we were able to shave it off with a bread knife. Highly recommend this recipe recognizing an electric oven would be easier to work with.
This cranberry nut bread is AMAZING!!! Crazy simple to make, so simple that I thought it wouldn’t turn out BUT IT IS DELICIOUS!! I added 1 more Tbs. of honey and more cranberries and pecans but otherwise a delicious hands off loaf of bread!!!
I really enjoyed your bread, I’m thinking about adding raisins to the recipe, do I need to add more yeast because the bread will be heavier?
Hi Don, no need to increase the yeast. We’d recommend keeping the total amount of add-ins about the same. Enjoy!
On the link you provide for the parchment paper you recommend, it says, “safe for use in … oven (to 450-degrees Fahrenheit)”. Your recipe calls for an oven temperature of 475˚. Is this safe? Will the paper burn up at 475 degrees?
Hi John, we’ve never had an issue with it, but you can use your own discretion.
I love this recipe, I have made so many times now. My mom had me make it for her while visiting. I’m just wondering if anyone else has to cook it for much longer than stated on recipe? I’m just wondering have to cook it for just over an hour to register 195 but the top looks pretty dark burnt lol…. But I and my mom don’t mind it. We enjoy it just doesn’t look very appealing. I thought maybe it was my oven so I made one at my mom’s but I’m having to also cook it for over an hour. I have played with it and lightly covered the top ( I don’t have a lid, so I cook it with a water bath) but then it’s not very crispy
Love this easy recipe! Can I make this without the cranberries and nuts? Do any of the ingredients need to be changed in any way?
Hi Diane, definitely. You can also use our similar artisan bread.