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, 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: 20 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. 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.) Place the ball of dough + parchment inside a bowl so the dough doesn’t spread out as it rests. Using a very sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a bread lame, gently score an X into the top. 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.
FYI on parchment. I only have Reynolds’s parchment and it says oven safe to 450 degrees. I had no problem using it and have with another no knead recipe. I used a Le Creuset Dutch oven at 475 degrees and baked just fine. I have an electric stove/oven if that matters.
I made this bread on the weekend and I love it! It remind me of a bread made by a local bakery (Breadsmith in St. Paul, MN). Their recipe has flax seed in it though but good. I’m happy I have this recipe to make on my own. Only thing I thought was my loaf could have been a little higher but I think maybe I didn’t make as compact a round size as Sally’s. It did rise properly but just smaller in height I guess.
I tried this bread and it was unfortunately a failure. I am not sure what I did wrong. I let it rise for the 12+ hours and when I removed the saran it smelled fermented.
Hi Ginny, have you baked the bread yet? That fermented smell should bake off. Are you accidentally using more yeast than the recipe calls for? 18 hours at room temperature for this amount of yeast (and flour) isn’t too long– you want a slow rise. We’ve had it smell a bit like alcohol before, but it’s never tasted as such.
Easy. Delicious. Tastes like sourdough. So chewy with a crusty exterior the first day. It looses the crusty exterior after a day, but still so good. The cranberries add sweetness. I loved it plain. My kids enjoyed it with butter and a drizzle of honey.
I noticed that there is only 1/2 tsp of yeast in this while in the olive bread there is 2. Is this correct amount of yeast? Thanks.
Hi LG, yes, that’s correct, since the bread has such a long rise at room temperature. For flavor and just as much rise, we use more yeast in the olive bread and let this dough rest in the refrigerator. (Cool air slows the fermentation process and helps develop better flavor.)
Delicious! I used slivered almonds bc that’s what I had on hand. But I can see how the add-ins can be somewhat customizable like I’ve read in some of the reviews. Orange zest sounds amazing. Thanks for an easy recipe!
This has got to be the best bread recipe I have ever made!!!! When I want to thank my mom for something or make her happy I make this and send her a loaf. Butter and a drizzle of honey on top….WHOA!! Delicious!
This bread looks so delicious! However, I’m reluctant to use my KAF parchment paper at 475. Could I bake the bread at 450? Would I have to bake it longer? If so, how much longer?
Hi DM, you can absolutely bake it at a lower temperature. We’re unsure of the exact bake time at that temperature, but it will be just a bit longer. Hope you enjoy it!
Once mixed – At what point in the process can I refrigerate the dough overnight and bake it in the morning? Would I have to proof it on the counter for any length of time before refrigerating? Thank you.
Hi Baker, this dough requires 18 hours to rise at room temperature, so you can prepare it in the evening and leave it at room temperature overnight before baking in the morning. Or, if you plan on letting it rise for 18 hours throughout the day, you can then place it in the refrigerator overnight and bake in the morning, no need to bring to room temperature first.
I love the flavor of this bread, but mine came out dense. How can I make it lighter and fluffier? Does elevation play a factor (we’re at 2700 ft)?
Hi Traci, this bread is a bit denser than a kneaded bread, but how are you measuring your flour? Make sure to spoon and level instead of scooping to prevent too much flour in your dough. This could result in dense bread that doesn’t rise. Be extra careful when handling the dough to not pop those air bubbles. Referencing this Baking with Yeast Guide may be helpful in the future as well. Elevation could also certainly be a factor. We wish we could help on that front, 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 Hope this helps and thank you for giving this one a try!
Can you add raisins to this recipe?
Absolutely! We’d recommend swapping the cranberries with raisins
Can’t wait to try this.
I have a Emile Henry baking cloche. Can I use that in place of the Dutch Oven? Thanks
Hi Peggy, that should work just fine!
Thanks for all your recipes! Instead of a Dutch oven, can I bake it like a baguette?
Hi Ash, See the section of this recipe called: No Dutch oven? No problem. We hope you enjoy!
just wondering, when you take it out, done, and put it on wire rack, on the parchement? or remove the parchment? im a beginner, did do this recipe last year with cranberries and almonds, it was a big hit, this year I am doing it with dried cherries from our cherry tree and almonds, yay
Hi Bettie, you can cool it with or without the parchment. Hope you enjoy it!
This is a fantastic recipe. I am making it now for some people who may have difficulty chewing the crusty exterior. Is there any way to make it more of a traditional bread crust?
Hi Karin, we’re so glad you loved it! The crusty exterior is signature for this bread and bread-baking method, so it would need significant changes to yield a soft crust like on sandwich bread.
Karin, I know this is too late, but maybe it can still be helpful for future baking. I make no-knead bread every other day, but I also have a bunch of young kiddos who don’t like the wonderful crusts of artisan-style Dutch oven loaves. So I researched and learned that any artisan loaf can be made much softer by dumping that dough round into a large greased loaf pan (you can stretch it a bit more oblong), painting the top with melted butter if you want super soft, and then baking at 350/375. Things we do for those we love!
Has anyone tried this using whole wheat pastry flour
Hi Kathy, we haven’t tested it, but we fear whole wheat pastry flour may be a bit too light for this bread. We recommend sticking with bread flour or all-purpose flour for best results.
Have you ever used a silicone bread sling instead of parchment paper? If so, did bottom of bread brown sufficiently?
Hi Lizzie, we haven’t tested it, but you can certainly use a silicone bread sling if you prefer. We’d love to know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Up to the baking, this dough looked exactly like your pictures. As I preheated my oven to 425 I left the Dutch oven in the entire time which was 30 minutes. I put the parchment dough into the Dutch oven and covered it. After 25 minutes, I uncovered it and it actually looked perfect but I baked it another eight minutes which burnt the top and the bottom but it was still delicious inside. What did I do wrong?
Hi Karen, If the outside is getting too hard/burnt, 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. Thanks for giving this a try!
If I add wild rice in place of the nuts, should I decrease the amount of water used?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested this recipe with cooked rice, so we’re unsure how it might impact the moisture level in this bread. It will take some trial and error, but let us know if you test anything!
This recipe was a disaster. First of all, it needed to be baked a lot longer. The dough was still raw when I sliced into it. I had to put it back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes. Second, the bread had absolutely no flavor at all. I threw the whole loaf in the garbage. Fortunately, I made your French silk pie first and that came our absolutely perfect and delicious.
Hi Nannette, did you bake this in a Dutch oven, or on a baking sheet? That can help me determine what the issue was with the bake time. Did you use coarse salt or a finer grain? I find the flavor is superior with coarse salt. Additionally, did you rush the rise/rest times at all? Because flavor is developed overtime. Thank you for your feedback.
Yes, I used a Dutch oven and coarse salt. However, it did sit on the counter for way more than 18 hours. That may explain the sogginess, but not the total lack of flavor. BTW, my parchment paper also burned. What is the name of the parchment paper you recommend?
When I leveled my 3 cups of flour it came way more that 390g. Which measurement should I go by: the cup volume or the actual weight of the flour?
Hi Elisha, when in doubt, it’s always best to go by the weight. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I used an oven-proof, covered Calphalon 8-quart pot at 425 degrees and the loaf turned out beautifully. I heated the pan for 15 minutes. Then baked the loaf for 35 minutes covered and 12ish minutes uncovered. Crunchy outside. I added candied orange peel in addition to cranberries and pecans. Wow!
This bread is hands down one of the best no knead breads I have ever tasted! The crust is crispy and the inside is so flavourful. My family loved it so much, I made 2 loaves last week!
Currently making a new loaf with cranberries and orange zest instead of walnuts, this will make it school friendly as the kids aren’t allowed nuts at school.
Definitely a keeper!!
Absolutely delicious! I had never thought to add honey, dried fruit or nuts to overnight bread. My family went crazy over it. Can’t wait to make it with dried cherries and pistachios and also apricots and almonds for the holidays.
I loved how simple this recipe was! And the results were great! I used the walnuts but was wondering if you tested this recipe with toasting either of the nuts before adding to the dough?
Hi Kim, we’re glad you loved it! You could certainly toast the nuts before adding if you wish.
I liked this recipe
This bread is delicious! I could eat the whole loaf by myself, but my husband will not let me. Easy recipe and directions are spot on.
Was thinking of doing an orange pistachio chocolate chip version. Do you think the chocolate chips will hold during the fermentation?
Hi Victoria, yes! We’ve had readers use chocolate chips with success.
Hi! I was very excited about making your bread. I did everything right and like you said except at the very end, I had a small emergency and the bread was on the counter for more than 18 hours when I came home there was no bubbles and they had popped. I followed through with the rest of the recipe and the bread turned out pretty flat. I haven’t tried tasting it yet. I just took it out of the oven a little while ago. Do you have any idea what might’ve happened My yeast was fresh . The water was not too hot. I’m really confused and disappointed and not sure what I did wrong. Help please! Thank you.
Hi Becky, if the dough sat on the counter longer than the 18 hours, it’s likely that it over proofed. When dough over proofs, it can collapse in the oven and become squat and dense. We hope you still enjoy the bread and that you can give it another try soon!
It is a nice recipe, Thanks.
You’re going to drive people up the wall though looking for a parchment paper that’s rated over 450° 450 works just fine at 475 in this recipe inside a Dutch oven.
Thanks Doug, and I understand. But I’ve had several, several questions and concerns about burning parchment paper, so I find it’s necessary to include.
This is a delicious bread. I used pecans out of preference. I was a bit skeptical about only 1/2 tsp of yeast, which is about one fourth of my other crusty bread recipes, but it turned out great so I won’t change a thing. Thanks for the recipe!