Soft, golden, and chewy, the cranberry walnut bread is guaranteed to fly off the shelf! It’s a bakery-style bread studded with tart cranberries and nutty walnuts, but it’s ludicrously easy to make, perfect for beginners even!
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
In a large bowl, mix both the flours and salt.
Make a well in the center and add olive oil and the bubbly yeast mixture.
Mix well with a fork or your hand till a rough shaggy dough forms.
Flour your work surface well, and turn the dough onto it.
Add the chopped walnuts and cranberries to the dough and knead for 12 -14 minutes, until the dough is soft, supple, and just a tad sticky. You can also knead the dough in your stand mixer.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
Once it is doubled, gently degas it.
Shape the dough into a ball. Place on a baking tray and cover it loosely with a kitchen napkin or cling wrap.
Let the dough rise in a draft-free spot for 30-40 minutes until it doubles in size.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 250C.
When the dough has proofed, make 4-5 slashes with a very sharp knife or a blade on the loaf. Put the tray in the oven and lower the heat to 200 C. Bake the loaf for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least an hour before slicing the bread.Enjoy!