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.
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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
I made this bread recipe for the first time and it turned out just as the picture looked! I’ll be using the bread to make French toast tomorrow. I wish I could post a picture 🙂
The recipe works great. The shell is hard and crunchy. The internal is moist and flavorful. Thank you.
I really like cranberry and walnut. I will try to use double portions of cranberry and walnut to see what happens. I have a question – I would like to make internal bread rise more or more volume like Costco’s. Do you have any suggestion? Maybe bread flour ?
Hi Lake! Bread flour (to replace the AP flour) could definitely help give it a little more height and structure in the center. So glad you enjoy it.
Thank you Sally for this recipe. It’s very forgiving indeed. I left it to rise for almost 24 hours before 2nd rise/baking. It turned out beautifully. It tastes just like the cranberry walnut bread we love from Henriettas Table in Cambridge. This will be my go to bread recipe from now on.
First one did in the Dutch Oven and came out great. About to put another one in, without the “Dutch Oven” method. Should the oven be set to 475F anyways? Seems a bit hot for an open bake?
Went for it today. No Dutch Oven way. about 5-7 mins at 457F + 20 mins at 400F. Came out perfect. Also substituted honey for a molasses. It gave a bit color and a different taste. Perfect recipe and easy to make. Thanks!
Can I use loaf pans for this bread?
I haven’t tried it, but I can’t see why not.
I love this bread! I used a cast iron Dutch oven and parchment paper and the bottom of the bread was a little dark. What could I do to keep this from happening next time? Also if I wanted to make a cinnamon raisin bread how much cinnamon would I need to add? Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Jann! This has happened before with my oven when it wasn’t heating evenly. It’s easy to fix, too. Lower 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. For cinnamon, I recommend at least 2 teaspoons.
I’ve made this bread at least 2 times a week in the last 6 weeks. We dont bother with store bought bread anymore.
Cranberry pecan as suggested. That was my starting point.
I’ve made mango with pumpkin seeds and cherry with almonds.
Every one of them have been delicious.
This bread is divine! I love to bake but bread/yeast is not my thing. I was so pleased that I tried this, the results were fantastic! Can’t wait to make it again. I was wondering though, orange flavour would be so nice with it. Do you think I could try adding orange zest with the cranberries and leave out the nuts? Has anyone tried this? How much would I add?
Hi Janessa! The zest from 1 medium or large orange would be great! You can leave out the nuts. I’m so glad you tried and loved this bread!
Amazing. This was delicious and easier than making brownies from a box.
we love the bread, but any recommendations on how to make this in a bread machine? I tried making once with above recipe but it didn’t turn as soft and chewy and didn’t rise much. we want it so that I mix all in the bread machine and next morning its baked and ready!
I actually don’t recommend a bread machine for this particular recipe. It needs to sit undisturbed for 12-18 hours and then the baking method of using a dutch oven (or placing a pan of water in your oven as described in the post above), is what gives the bread it’s beautiful texture. I’m unsure of how to replicated that steamy environment in a bread machine.
Thanks! Your recipe beats the bread machine! Love the chewy texture. We make it about twice a week and was hoping to make our life easier 🙂 thanks for the very quick reply!
I have made this recipe several times using a cup each (instead of 3/4 cup) of craisins and walnuts, plus 1 cup of whole wheat and two cups of white flour plus 2 T flour. 2 tablespoons honey instead of 1. Shows recipe is flexible and forgiving. Thanks so much.
I started the dough last night and baked it this morning. We had it for lunch. It is much lighter than I thought it would be and we both loved it! Thanks for a great recipe.
I came across this recipe after trying to find a way to recreate a cranberry walnut bread my 78 year old Dad could no longer get from Costco. Bread this easy is addictive to make! This week alone I’ve made the cranberry walnut, the jalapeño cheddar, a cinnamon raisin and a plain with a little rosemary. Your directions are foolproof- even for those, like me, who do not consider themselves bakers. I do have a Dutch oven and it worked beautifully. I feel so impressed with myself thanks to your wonderfully simple and delicious recipe. My family, friends and colleagues thank you as well since I cannot eat all this bread myself
Hello, and thank you for another incredibly easy recipe to follow and replicate! A friend and I recently visited a restaurant/bakery where we purchased a loaf with similar flavors that she had been raving about to me. I wanted to re-create it to surprise her, and then I saw this post-perfect timing! I made just a few tiny changes: I used 1/3 white whole wheat flour, subbed pecans for walnuts, and used 1/4 cup of my sourdough starter in addition to a 1/4 tsp. of ‘insurance’ yeast. To accommodate my crazy schedule I split the long room temperature rise over two days, refrigerating in between, then shaped the loaf and refrigerated it again overnight. I baked the loaf per the recipe in a Lodge cast iron combo cooker after about an hour at room temperature (an indent made by poking my finger into it filled in slowly, which was my ‘readiness’ test), removed it from the baking vessel and gave it an extra couple of minutes straight on the oven rack at the end of the recommended bake time because my friend’s preference is a well-done crust. The finished loaf was a very deep golden brown – absolutely beautiful!
Here are the comments I received via text when she discovered her surprise upon arriving home later that day – and I quote: “I am in LOVE with this bread! It’s unbelievable – better than any bakery or restaurant. You really rocked it – it’s delicious AND beautiful!
“Hubby was taking too long to unlock the door. I couldn’t wait and it smelled amazing! I picked it up and ripped a chunk off it and took a bite right outside in the driveway! He took my piece for a bite and he didn’t give it back.”
“I don’t just like it …I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.”
Thanks, Sally, for helping me bring some joy to a dear, sweet friend who is always so generous and kind to me. Now I guess I’ll have to bake another this week so I can taste it, too!
I have a feeling she and I will be making this wonderful recipe again and again.
I have been wanting to try bread for awhile but have been very intimidated. Thank you for sharing such an easy first timer recipe, the directions were clear and easy to work with, the pictures helped a lot too. I’m currently waiting for my loaf to cool down to eat but I’m so excited.
Can I put the dough to rise overnight in the fridge?
You can let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight, but the cold air slows the fermentation. It will need to sit in the cold air for longer than 18 hours. I recommend letting it sit at room temperature.
Can I use a AllClad 5qt stockpot with lid to bake this bread? My cast iron Dutch oven is so heavy it’s difficult to use with arthritis in hands. Can’t wait to try as I really like the Costco cranberry nut bread. Thank you.
Hi Jen! As long as the pot is oven safe up to this oven temperature, you can absolutely use it instead.
Turned out great! Just curious, why all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
So glad you enjoyed this bread, Amanda! I use all-purpose flour here since it’s more readily available to most bakers. However, I love baking bread with bread flour and it can definitely be substituted with no other changes needed to the recipe.
I read and reread this recipe to make sure I was seeing it right, then compared to your other no-knead breads, calling for only 1/2 t. yeast but 2 t. salt! I wanted to make it with gluten free flour using methods that work, like extra yeast and sugar, plus a little vinegar. I cut the salt to 1 1/2 t. and added a little more honey, but after 16 hours it was not “fermenty” so I mixed up and added another spoonful of yeast with a little warm water and a small amount of sugar. Twenty hours and I finally decided to get it into the oven where it still is for a few more minutes. What I did notice in tasting the dough is that it is horribly salty. I’m not hopeful that it will come out edible at all, but I will add an update later.
Hi Beth! My artisan bread recipe is the only other no-knead bread recipe that calls for more yeast, but the same amount of salt. Make sure you’re using coarse salt– table salt will create a salty bread that lacks depth of flavor. I wouldn’t taste the raw dough because it will taste different, of course, then the baked bread.
The bread was a little doughy in the middle, which is common with some of my breads. I baked it for 35 minutes at 425, then the additional 10 minutes, but it should have baked longer. You are right, the finished bread was not as salty tasting as the dough ( I used Himalayan sea salt), but I still made some cinnamon butter with a little honey mixed in to dip the bread in. I will probably try it again with the additional yeast and longer rise and bake time. For anyone wanting to try it, I used Namaste brand gluten free flour.
This sounds great, but I’m not a fan of nuts. Whole Foods makes a cranberry ginger loaf that I love. Would I add candied ginger to the dough? Thnx!
Absolutely! And you can leave out the nuts.
We loved Costco’s cranberry walnut bread so much that my mom ended up bringing 3 loaves back home with her. So when I saw this receipt, I was excited to try. So I followed everything except the yeast was not Red Star but comparable. The loaf came out great however I had a 24 size le creuset dutch oven which is about 4.5 quart. It fit with room but I think the smaller pot size caused it to not brown quick enough after I removed the lid? The 8-10 min turns out to be about another 20 min at which time, I took it out anyway but it’s still not brown like her pictures. Any longer I feared it might dry out. The flavor is superb! The loaf is smaller then Costco by about a third for me. BTW, I was worried about the le creuset black knot not able to stand 475 so I replaced the lid with a large cast iron pan (maybe this is the cause of it not browning). Next time, I think I’m going to remove the lid sooner like at 20 min so the top browns more quickly with my size 24 le creuset.
Made this bread for the first time without a dutch oven. I followed the directions for steamy baking. It was amazing! Thought I needed a dutch oven but really don’t think I will go to the expense. I baked it at 425 because of parchment concerns. Added maybe 10 minutes to cook time and it was perfect. Loved everything about it! Really need to make it for a family gathering so I can have help eating it. 🙂
I made this bread yesterday and baked it last night. As luck would have it, my brother walked in the minute I put it in the oven. We visited while it baked. But he had to leave just as I was taking it out of the oven. I was going to split it with him but it was much too hot so I slipped it into a paper bag and gave him the whole loaf ( I guess it’s called a loaf even though its round)
He came back over today and I asked how the bread was.
He said: “it was delicious. I at the whole thing.”
I’m making my loaf right now and baking it in the morning.
I just hope I don’t eat the whole thing… not in one day anyway.
Hi Sally
this is my first attempt at baking bread and I failed miserably. the inside was not cooked but the outside was starting to burn. I followed instructions using a dutch oven. I want to get it right!!! suggestions??
Hi Doreen! That sounds like something we can easily address with the oven temperature. Try lowering it by 50 degrees F and cooking the bread for longer. Let the bread cook until it’s golden brown on the exterior. Lightly tap it with your knuckles– if it sounds hollow, it’s done. I hope this helps for next time.
I did not get the bread to rise. What temperature does the house have to be at night to get it to rise? I let it have 20 hrs. just in case because the house is cool at night.
I used Red Star quick rise, instant yeast, couldn’t find the premium.
I would really like some of this bread, I bought some at costco. I even bought a dutch oven, 6.5.
Hi Marilyn! Did the dough stretch to the sides of the bowl and appear bubbly on top? That’s more what you are looking for. Anywhere around 70°F would be fine. Make sure you aren’t adding too much water and/or flour, too. You may find this Baking with Yeast post helpful for troubleshooting, too.
This bread is super easy to make and tastes delicious! We were invited over to some friends for coffee so I took it as a hostess gift. They (we all) couldn’t wait to try it, we all loved it! The crust has just the right amount of chewiness to it. Thank you Sally!
Wow another awesome recipe!!! I made it exactly as the recipe instructed and this bread was completely devoured in an hour! I was lovingly berated for only making one loaf!
I will make the raisin version next. Thanks for such easy instructions and the additional tips!
would It hurt to let it proof for longer than 18 hours? 24 hours? Thanks, I’m having a hard time getting my timing right with my work schedule.
Hi JR, You can make the bread dough when it’s convenient for you and freeze it! Complete the recipe through step 2. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 3 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
Thank you for getting back to me. I’ll try it.
Hey Sally! If I wanted to make this bread to serve with soup (without the cranberries or walnuts), do I omit the honey as well? I just didn’t want a sweet bread, thanks!!
Hi Megan! Yes, you can omit the honey for plain bread. If you want a little sweetness, leave it in. 🙂