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
Hi Sally. I used bread flour but 1/3 c. White whole wheat within the full measure. Also used 1 Tbsp. Blackberry Honey and had to add dried cherries to make up the lack of cranberries I had. I have to agree after following instructions to a “T” it lacked the rise I expected. I used the platinum yeast wirh 2022 expiration date, used a thermometer when I added water, left on the counter overnight and rose but definitely not doubled. Looks great after pulling from oven.
I have made this bread so many times! It is so easy and delicious. My coworkers and family love it. Tonight I am going to try it with pecans and white chocolate. Can’t wait!
Excellent flavor.. Crowd pleaser
I love this recipe! Making it again today. I think it is not meant to be a high rise bread- which is OK with me since it’s delicious!
I overcooked it and cut it like biscotti. SO GOOD with a cup of coffee. Just an idea!
Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe! So easy. I let the dough rise for 7 hours on my kitchen counter but I had to go to bed so I covered it in plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight (additional 9 hours). In the morning, I let it continue to rise covered in a warm oven (I used Sally’s trick of warming an oven, turning it off, and putting the dough in with the door shut). I then baked it according to the recipe and it turned out perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Perfection!
I made this following the instructions and it turned out perfect the past 2 times I’ve made it!! This is definitely a staple recipe for me now! Thank you!
The bread is great. My bread burned a bit on the bottom and the parchment stuck some to the bottom. Any suggestions to prevent this. The bread was a trial run for one that I want to take to a person who is re-covering from surgery . I want it to be perfect which it is if not for those two issues.
Hi Barbara, We are glad you are enjoying this recipe! Next time you can 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.
Made this bread this weekend. LOVED IT! I’m making 2 more as gifts. I used fresh cranberries, and they worked great! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Just the post I was looking for! I would love to use up some fresh cranberries that I have leftover from the holidays. Did you use the same amount as the dried that the recipe calls for?
Also, has anyone used coarse or just regular kosher salt as an alternative?
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Sally,
Love your recipe. thanks for sharing. I made it twice already but I replace one cup of all-purpose with 1 cup of whole wheat. It’s a big hit anytime I made it!!! omg Many people couldn’t stop eating it but it’s very filling. I believe the longest hours help with the complex flavor profile.
I do have 2 questions though:
1. I left the dough for 18 hours but I noticed that the dough rose to the highest point of the bowl at around 4-5 hrs later (could be because of warm water). At 18 hrs, it flattened by half of the bowl. I am not sure this is normal or sign of overproof but I added more water in the second time to make it a little softer and less dense. Should I start shape the dough when it hit its highest rise and let it sit until 18 hours?
The reason I asked is that my dough didn’t have much oven spring especially the one that I add more water. It is still dense but soft inside.
2. Your bread came out with nice brown crust/ more shiny. Both of mine are in matte dull brown color. Is it because I dusted the bread too much. How can I achieve the same nice crust?
3. Scoring is another question, I have issue with scoring both times. The one that I added more water didn’t create a nice split/expansion like typical no knead bread (white flour only). the bread inside expand up, making the scoring less pronounce. I read in some articles, they said it’s because my dough need more time to proof. So, I was confused whether the issue is I overproof or underproof.
Thanks for shedding the light how I can improve my bread 🙂
Hi Ann, I missed your comment/questions last week, but am happy to help now. I’m glad you enjoy this bread recipe! 1) Warmer water will speed up the yeast’s ability to raise & expand dough. I wouldn’t add MORE water. Try using cooler water next time. You can definitely begin shaping the dough before the 12-18 hour timeframe, especially if it rose that quickly. However, it may not have the same chewy texture and lovely developed flavor. Again, I would try cooler water next time. 2) The shine could be the lighting in the photos. Try raising the oven temperature for just a few minutes right at the end to achieve a darker brown finish. 3) The wetter the dough, the harder time you’ll have scoring it. I honestly just think the dough was too wet. I hope some of this is helpful!
Thanks very much Sally for taking the time to answer my questions! I tried it and it works out perfectly this time.
It was fine for me too.. I continue to let it rest at least 16 hrs, no matter what. I recently did an experiment. I split the dough into half each. One dough I did everything per this recipe. The other one, I shaped it after it rose to double and let it proof after that but it didn’t hold it shape and became flat. So, I ended up reshaping it again and this time it hold the shape after proofing for 2 hrs. I think the dough was not ready then. I froze this bread for next week so I can’t tell you whether it taste any differently. The last time I made, both loafs come out perfect now (appearance and score). The reason that my first one didn’t get brown because my dutch oven is too deep. This time I needed to use 2 pots and I can see the difference due to the type of the pot used. The shallow one brown faster and better.
I don’t have issue with salty bread.. I used the sea salt grinder bottle and it turned out perfect. Many who tried my bread said the flavor is perfectly right.
As for the flour, I use unbleached all purpose flour 2 cups and King Arthur whole wheat stone ground for 1 cup. It gave the complex flavor profile. I would say taste much better than many bread I have tried. I’m thinking about changing it to half/half next time.
Some people adds rye flour (only 5%) to the dough as it will give a deeper flavor (I’ve never tried) but don’t add too much as the dough will be very sticky and hard to manage. My friend used oat flour too and she said it turns out good. I haven’t tried though.
Hope it helps.
The flavor is delicious! I added some orange zest. The texture of the crumb was a little “gluey” though – any idea what could have caused this? I’m sure it’s something I did, and not the recipe, but I’m relatively new to bread and not sure how to troubleshoot yet!
Hi Shauna, I missed a few comments/questions on this recipe last month and am just seeing them now– my apologies. I’m so glad that you enjoy this bread, too! It simply sounds like the bread wasn’t cooked long enough. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice with 100 percent whole wheat pastry flour and it has turned out beautifully. The first time I made one loaf, the second time I divided the dough into two loaves, using a third of the dough for the small one and the remaining dough for the larger one. I baked the two loaves at the same time at a slightly lower temperature (450) for 20 minutes with lid on and eight minutes more after removing lid. I appreciate the details the recipe provides for variations!
I just made this bread. I love it! Just wondering how to keep the crust crunchy. I put it in a bag after it cooled. Now the crunch is gone.
Followed recipe as written, but used dried tart cherries and pecans instead of dried cranberries and walnuts. Threw it together last night at 8pm and at noon was baking a beautifully risen dough. Cooling for the 30 minutes then sampling
Thanks so much Sally for clear and detailed recipes with lots of side notes for substitute ingredients and cookware, and for ingredient information. Appreciate it! Next up tomorrow is the cheese jalapeño bread. Happy holidays!
My home is chilly so I sat it on the fridge for the 18 hrs and put it in the microwave warmed with the light on for the final rise. Turned out very well. I was worried about wrecking my Le Creuset but the temps didn’t hurt it. I do have the stainless lid handle. Turned out much better than the other recipe I tried but I baked that on a bread stone and it really spread out…I will definitely make this again as I’m a fool for cranberries and walnuts.
I carefully followed directions, including measuring ingredients by weight not volume. Did, and double checked. Dough was too wet. I was tempted to add flour, but did not. Allowed to rise for 18 hours. Disappointing results compared to other Sally…. recipes tried.
Thank you. I did think about fresh yeast but having said that the instant yeast was well within the sell by date and I wasn’t sure what ratio of fresh yeast to use. I think it is around 21 grams.
Anyway, I cooked the bread for approx., 40 minutes on 190 electric fan oven, turned the oven down to 175 for 20 minutes and then I still had to put it back in the oven for half an hour because the top was crusty but the middle was quite wet. In the end it dried out and it was nice to eat. I will probably give it one more go with fresh yeast this time. I was trying it out today to see how it turns out for Christmas. Made some delicious mince pies yesterday. All trial and error I suppose. Sorry about the poor earlier review. I was just a bit fed up with the result but all good in the end. Rita p.s. I’m glad you measure ingredients in grams and not just cups. Some American recipes are a nightmare to follow due to this problem so I have to keep referring to Mr Google for conversions in the U.K. p.p.s. I love cooking and baking and do a lot of it.
This bread did not rise very much at all. I kept it in a warm room for 18 hours. Did the recipe exactly according to instructions. Kept the dutch oven in a hot oven for 30 minutes before baking. It’s cooling off now. Don’t know what it tastes like yet however I am very disappointed. Won’t make it again!
Hi Rita, Thank you for trying this recipe. If the dough didn’t rise and there were not any air bubbles in the dough, it’s likely that the yeast wasn’t good. Any chance it was older or expired? If you ever wish to try again I suggest getting fresh yeast.
Hi,
Wow loved everything about this bread…but would like it sweeter…would I be safe to add more honey? Other better ideas to accomplish this appreciated.
Thank you for your suggestions. I made another one last night. I put corn meal on the bottom. Haven’t tried it yet.
Love this bread. The only drawback is the bottom is very hard to cut. Are we doing something wrong? Is there anything we can do? We will still keep making it because it is so good and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Venice, We are glad you are enjoying this recipe! If the bottoms are getting too hard, 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.
I was concerned, reading through this recipe, at the hydration – thought a mistake had been made, since it is over 90%! I wondered how you would get any kind of gluten development, even with over-nighting it. I make sourdoughs all the time, with a hydration of 75-80%, which is considered high. But it turned out great! I did one addition, since it is a holiday bread – added just a little of Pensy’s “cake spice,” which really kicked it up a notch or two! One suggestion for those using a pizza stone: on the rack beneath it, put a small pan (preferably cast iron) when you heat your oven; when you put your bread on the stone, throw a couple of ice cubes in the pan. Don’t put water in it, which could cause a steam burn. The ice cubes will quickly melt and turn to steam, but not before your hands are safely out of the oven!
I added less yeast to mine, and now it has no yeast taste.
Can I use a pizza stone and place a pan of water beneath the stones? How large is this loaf as I may make 2 at once.
Hi Rita, a few readers have reported back saying they successfully used a pizza stone for this bread. (I haven’t.) I would add the water in a pan beneath it, yes.
My dough was so wet and sticky that I “poured” the dough onto my cutting board. I weighed my flour so that wasn’t the issue. I generously floured the cutting board and my hands to be able to handle the wet and sticky dough. I made this using the no dutch oven method. The bread looked fully cooked inside and out but inside it felt a little damp as if there was too much water and I should have mixed in a bit more flour. Other then feeling damp, it tastes fine. It’s humid over here so I should have added more flour. Next time with any yeast recipe I’ll add more or less flour based on my kitchen environment even if the recipe says not to add any more flour I’ll add it if needed.
This was so easy! My bread turned out perfect. Thank you so much for all of your terrific directions.
Hi Pam, If your parchment paper can only be heated to a certain temperature, bake the bread at that temperature. Bake the bread a little longer to compensate for the lower temperature.
I used bread flour and fresh cranberries and it came out great. Thanks
Very easy recipe to use. However instead of platinum yeast I used SAF gold instant, the person I gave it to said the first few slices were wonderful, but when he got to the middle it tasted peppery?
I think, according to other comments, it was a fermented taste. Could this have been caused by the yeast not mixed with the water? I’m gonna try again and let the yeast bloom in the warm water before mixing with other ingredients. Do you think this will help?
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was amazing. I halved the recipe and I used only 1/2 tsp salt and added more cranberries and honestly it was the best no knead bread ever! Definitely will be making this often! Thank you Sally!
Thanks for a wonderful recipe! Made it but added extra 50g of cranberries and 50g sultanas and it was really lovely! Will try with a mix of other fruits.