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’m making this for the first time and I’m excited! I started making it around 11 am, can I leave it over night out at room temp and cook it in the morning? Or will that over do it?
Hi Bridget! The dough takes up to 18 hours to rise, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin 1 day ahead of time.
Hi Sally,
Is it a MUST to use parchment paper. I’ve made this bread before in my dutch oven without parchment paper and it was fine. Then I saw your note to use parchment paper, the bread came out wonderful but the parchment stuck to the bottom of my beautiful bread!
Hi Deb, you can skip it if that works better for you.
Is there an adjustment for high altitude baking with this recipe?
Hi Felicia, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi Sally -thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I was wondering how to incorporate sourdough into this recipe. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Hi Teresa, we haven’t tested this recipe using sourdough discard, but let us know if you try anything.
I was ready to bake. Where can I locate parchment paper that withstands temperatures up to 475? Thank you,
Hi Nancy, we use this parchment paper and have never had an issue with it.
This bread is unbelievable. I followed the directions exactly, and did use my kitchen scale as suggested. It rose beautifully, and baked up with a gorgeous crusty brown exterior. Inside it was soft, with an excellent crumb. It was so, so good. We at the entire loaf in 24 hours. I have another loaf rising overning right now to take to relatives. Thank you so much for this recipe. I have always loved cranberry nut bread, but we now live in a fairly remote area and none of the local small grocers carry anything like this. Im so glad I can now make my own- and it is SO EASY! Thank God for people who will share their recipes.
Would I use the same amount of yeast if it’s the active and not the quick or instant?
Hi Sissy! The same amount of active dry yeast can work here.
I have made this bread several times (understatement of the century), and I love it. I plan to make it for Thanksgiving to share with my family. One family member requires gluten-free so I was thinking of trying it with gluten-free flour. Is there anything I would need to do differently when subbing GF flour?
Hi Christina, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I use a proving drawer for the rise? My kitchen is very cold so I’m afraid “room temp” won’t get the job done…
Hi Rachel, you can certainly try that!
Delicious and super easy! Wish I could add a picture.
I love this recipe , however, the bottom of the bread keeps burning. What can I do to prevent this?
Hi Suzanne, You can always try turning your oven down to bake a little lower and slower if you’re having issues with the bottom burning.
Hi Suzanne, try putting a cookie sheet on the rack under the pan.
Wondering if you could use maple syrup or date syrup in place of the honey?
Hi Micki, you can substitute maple syrup for the honey. Enjoy!
I made this bread multiple times. My family loves it. But I was wondering if I can make this bread with King Arthur gluten-free all purpose flour?
Hi Tanya, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you give it a try!
Yes, I will definitely let you know. Thank you again for this great recipe!
I’m making this recipe for the first time. Do you keep the oven at 475 for the full baking time after pre heating the oven at that temperature?
Hi Danielle, Yes, bake at 475F in the preheated Dutch oven. Enjoy!
Very good recipe. The bread turned out prefect. It’s a recipe I will make over and over again.
Made with dried figs and is amazing!!
Has anyone tried doubling the recipe to make a larger loaf?
Hi Kathy! For best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.
I just baked a test loaf because I want to make it for Thanksgiving. It is Delicious! I’m having a very hard time staying away from it! I used a mix of dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried cranberries & golden raisins for the fruit and substituted half raw sunflower kernels & half raw pepitas for the nuts since my nephew is allergic. Since tasting it, I don’t know that I’d go back to the nuts even if I wasn’t baking with him in mind. The combination was wonderful. I think next time I’m going to play a little by adding some orange zest as another reviewer mentioned and also add another tablespoon of honey for a slightly sweeter loaf. I can’t wait to try a piece toasted — I’m sure I’ll be in breakfast heaven! Thanks for a great recipe.
This bread is so delicious and easy to make. I will be making it every week. Would it effect the process if I added some orange zest to the mix?
Hi Hana, so glad you love this bread! You could add orange zest to the dough. And perhaps replace 1 Tablespoon of the water with fresh orange juice. I have not tested this, but that is what I would try first.
I made the dough yesterday afternoon and baked it this morning. I let it cool an hour before cutting it. This bread is incredible! Absolutely delicious! I used bread flour and baked it on the lower rack of my oven above, not on, my baking steel. I am going to make this for my Thanksgiving table next month. My daughter thinks it will make excellent sandwiches for our leftovers.
i made this, but i used my fresh ground whole wheat flour and it did not work. i left it sitting on the cold cooktop all night 18 hours and it did not rise? i should have added yeast and let it rise in a warm spot but i baked it and got a solid rock? haha. using fresh milled flour is very complicated? i thought the 18 hours would improve my outcome?
Hi June, we haven’t tested this recipe with fresh milled flour, so we’re unsure of any changes needed. The recipe does call for a 1/2 teaspoon of yeast, so if you didn’t add yeast that could be part of the reason your dough didn’t rise. There’s a section titled “What if My Dough Isn’t Rising?” in our Baking with Yeast Guide that might help troubleshoot for next time as you experiment with your fresh ground whole wheat flour in baking recipes.
How do I handle new home ovens? I have a kitchenade and even making cookies it takes 20 min instead of 10 because it does not keep the heat.
I called the company they said up the caliber or temp as new ovens heat to temp required than cools and heats up again.
Any advice I would truly appreciate
Thank you
Hi Nedra, we always recommend using an in-oven thermometer so you know the temperature in your oven, as they are often wrong!
I have a Kitchen Aide range and just made this today, came out great! I have noticed other things like cookies especially taking longer. For those, I use the convection setting, but do not adjust temperature. I used to decrease oven temp by 25 degrees when using convection in my Jenn Air.
Hi
Can I substitute sugar for the honey? I’m allergic to honey.
If so would the ratio be the same?
Hi Marla, yes, you can use the same amount of granulated sugar or even maple syrup in place of the honey.
Hi Sally,
I absolutely LOVE this recipe and have made it several times with success.
However, I made a loaf tonight and although it came out great, the parchment completely stuck to the bottom. To the point that I can’t even peel it off, it’s almost become one with the bread. Ever had this issue? Either way, thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hello,
I have made the Cranberry Nut No Knead bread about 4 times using the Dutch oven. The bread is great but it seems to be burnt on the bottom. I have followed the directions so I am not sure what I can do to avoid this from happening. Please help.
Hi Susan, If the bottom is getting burnt, try lowering your oven temperature by 25 degrees further and lower your oven rack as well. The bake time will be a bit longer since you lowered the oven temperature. Thanks for giving this a try!
Try putting a baking sheet on the rack below the one your Dutch oven is on. It will act as a heat shield, so the baking bread receives less direct heat from your oven’s bottom burner
Positively delicious!
Your directions are spot on:
detailed but not too much nor too little.
I suspect I made an error with the amount of flour I added. I will weigh next time! Harder to make an inadvertent error, I think.
But my bread was still fabulous to my pleasant surprise.
Thank you Sally! This is a delicious bread recipe! I have made my own variations — replaced about 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat, and added grated orange zest.
Excellent loaf. Very tasty. I forgot to score the loaf and it still came out beautifully. I will definitely make this again and again.
This was delicious and I plan on making it again and again! The one thing I will change is sugar and not honey. I use bread flour. Thank you for posting and sharing this recipe!!!
Where is the nutrition information for this recipe?
Hi Michelle, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi Sally,
I am trying to duplicate Costcos Cranberry Walnut Loaf and this recipe is pretty good.
I would like to use some rye and wheat flours istead of all white flour.
Could you suggest the amout of bread ,wheat and rye flour to use? And also the water.
Hi Rafael, we haven’t tested this recipe with rye flour but would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try! Many bakers have reported this recipe as written reminds them of the Costco loaf.