Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread

Ingredients in Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious bread!

• Active sourdough starter. You can either make your own sourdough starter, buy one, or get one from a friend like I did. Make sure it is active and bubbly.
• Water. It should be room temperature. If it is too cold it will take a really long time to rise, and if it is too hot it could kill the yeast.
• Flour. Bread flour or all purpose flour will work in this recipe.
• Salt. Salt helps control the yeast but it also adds flavor to the bread.
• Fresh or dried cranberries.
• Orange zest. The zest from 1 large orange plus the juice
• Honey. For added sweetness

Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Add in some chopped pecans or walnuts when you are mixing all the ingredients together.
• Substitute honey with maple syrup for a vegan loaf or if it's all you have in the house.
• Change the craisins if you prefer other fruit. Raisins, prunes, dried apricots, or you favorite dried fruit will all work in this recipe.
• Feel free to play with different types of flour. Use a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour for a more nutty flavor. When wondering about all purpose flour vs bread flour, they can be used interchangeable in this recipe.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter with water. Stir until the starter is dissolved. Add the bread flour, salt, honey, cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 1 hour.

Step 2: After 1 hour, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Take one side of the dough and lift it into the center of the dough. Continue doing that until the bowl is entirely turned and the dough is smooth.

Step 3: Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 4-5 hours, performing 3-4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes during the first two hours. The dough should increase in volume but not necessarily double.

Step 4: Once the bulk fermentation is complete, shape the dough into a round or oval loaf. Check out how to shape a boule for step by step instructions.

Step 5: If you are not baking the loaf now, place the dough seam-side up into a floured banneton (proofing basket) or a large bowl. Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Step 6: Preheat your oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside. Once heated, carefully transfer your loaf into the hot Dutch oven, score the top, and cover with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown.

Tips and Tricks

• Dried cranberries will work perfectly in this bread! If you have fresh cranberries that you would like to use, they can be used as well in this recipe. Fresh berries are great in bread, I especially love blueberry sourdough bread which is loaded with blueberries.
• If you are new to sourdough and haven't checked out my sourdough glossary, now is a great time to do that! We are doing stretch and folds in this bread. This technique helps strengthen the dough and evenly distribute ingredients without overmixing.
• When zesting the orange, avoid the white pith, as it can be bitter. You want just the orange part of the orange.

Storage Info

Store the bread in a paper bag or a bread box to maintain its crust for up to 3 days.

This is a great bread to freeze too! Slice the bread and freeze it in an airtight bag or gallon sized Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. You can toast slices directly from frozen.

Refresh the whole loaf of bread by warming it in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Then turn leftover bread into sourdough bread pudding!

Frequently Asked Questions