This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast! All opinions expressed are solely my own. 
Iโm really struggling with what to say. Right now itโs Sunday afternoon and Iโm sitting at the counter having just finished a late lunch (this and lots of guac). Itโs the first weekend of spring break so it should be nice and sunny, yet earlier today it was snowing and now itโs hitting the window sideways as a mixture of rain and hail.
Iโd show you a picture but you wouldnโt see anything but white because thatโs what it look like outside. Spring, pleeease come soon. I need you!
Soโฆ this bread.
One of my favorite restaurants (Stoneโs, for you local folks!) serves a sandwich that has chicken salad on the most wonderful cranberry walnut slices. Itโs my absolute favorite and almost always my go-to. After doing a little research on the internets I realized itโs not that hard to make your own cranberry walnut bread thatโs not only ahhhmazing, but whole wheat and vegan! YES.
As always, I used Red Star Yeast to make my dough rise. It was my first time using Red Star Platinum Yeast as opposed to regular active dry yeast and I can honestly say that it made a huge difference in my bread! The yeast was more active, it rose better, and I think it tasted better 
In biology we just learned about fungi which is the kingdom that yeast is part of. The scientific name, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, literally means โsugar-eating fungusโ which is why it works so much better when you add a touch of sugar to the dough. You can learn more, especially why the dough rises, on the What is Yeast? page of their website! I donโt know about you guys but my inner nerd loves to see stuff like this. Donโt forget to check out their recipe page as well โ I get so overwhelmed and can never pick which recipe to try out!
Cranberries + walnuts are just made for each other. And when theyโre paired with a whole wheat carb? Itโs purrfection. I am all about the filling to dough ratio and this bread is no exception. Every bite has a sweet cranberry and crunchy walnut along with the slight molasses flavor. Of course itโs delish on its own, but everyone knows life is better with a little butter.
A story (plz donโt judge): I took a slice topped with coconut oil and avocado with me to class and on the way inside I dropped it in the parking lot in a puddle of melting snow and most likely dirt.
I still ate it. I still loved it.
Can we still be friends? Iโll bring you bread. (that was not dropped in a puddle:)
Many thanks to Red Star Yeast for sponsoring this post! Of course, I only post about brands I truly love and would recommend. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
do you pr
I bought a 
Looks super yummy!
Thank you!
Ohh this looks SO delicious! Iโm a huge fan of homemade bread (though I donโt make it nearly as much as I should) and I love that this has cranberries and walnuts in it. I bet the whole wheat gives it a great nutty taste as well!
Yes! It was my first time adding wheat gluten to a recipe as well and I think that helped!
I canโt wait to try this. Love your posts! And just yesterday I slipped on ice while getting into my car and spilled my green smoothieโฆcomplete with flax seed all over my drivers seat and seat belt. Yuck!! You can imagine what it looks likeโฆNorthern Michigan problems
Thanks Meghan! I canโt wait for your blog to be ready
I want to read it! Are you in the U.P.?!
Yes! Trout Lake. Hoping to start posting this week
HI Leigha, This bread looks as good as youโve described it! I do love making bread, and I also love the smell of the yeast. I think itโs becasue my grandmother made lots of cinnamon rolls when I visited; the smell takes me back to her house when I was just a kid. This is a must try!
Thank you, Diane! Oh, I love the smell of cinnamon rolls baking
I already thought this bread looked darn amazing, but your story just verifies it!
Cranberries and walnuts really are meant for each other. Gahh now I want some!!
Hehehe #noshame
Oh myโฆ this looks sooooo delicious. Wallnuts are seriously great in baked goods
Yum!
I agree! Recently weโve been putting walnuts in our pastaโฆ sooo yummy!
Delicious looking bread! Iโd love to make a grilled cheese out of it. I believe in the 5 second rule, so I totally donโt judge you
Oooh.. grilled cheese would be fantastic. Thanks Maryanne! I am actually kind of freaking out on the inside that you commented on my blog. I am a huge fan of yours.
turned out very dry and would not hold together Helpโ-what did I do wrong?????
Hi Dianne, was the dough nice and elastic-y before you baked it? You want to make sure that the yeast develops and creates the gluten.