This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast! All opinions expressed are solely my own. 🙂
I’m really struggling with what to say. Right now it’s Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting at the counter having just finished a late lunch (this and lots of guac). It’s the first weekend of spring break so it should be nice and sunny, yet earlier today it was snowing and now it’s hitting the window sideways as a mixture of rain and hail.
I’d show you a picture but you wouldn’t see anything but white because that’s what it look like outside. Spring, pleeease come soon. I need you!
So… this bread.
One of my favorite restaurants (Stone’s, for you local folks!) serves a sandwich that has chicken salad on the most wonderful cranberry walnut slices. It’s my absolute favorite and almost always my go-to. After doing a little research on the internets I realized it’s not that hard to make your own cranberry walnut bread that’s 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 “sugar-eating fungus” 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 don’t know about you guys but my inner nerd loves to see stuff like this. Don’t forget to check out their recipe page as well – I get so overwhelmed and can never pick which recipe to try out!
Cranberries + walnuts are just made for each other. And when they’re paired with a whole wheat carb? It’s 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 it’s delish on its own, but everyone knows life is better with a little butter.
A story (plz don’t 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? I’ll bring you bread. (that was not dropped in a puddle:)
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 package Red Star Platinum Yeast
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp dried orange peel
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- Warm the water, milk, and sugar to lukewarm. Add the yeast and let it sit until it's nice and foamy, about 5-10 minutes. While that's happening you can chop your walnuts and get the rest of the ingredients ready.
- Add the yeast mixture, oil, and molasses to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the flour, gluten, salt, and orange peel. Mix for 2-3 minutes then add the cranberries and nuts. Keep kneading for about 5 more minutes.
- Once the dough has come together take it out of the bowl and knead with your hands until the dough is nice and elastic. Form it into a ball then place in an oiled bowl. Place the bowl, covered with a dish towel or plastic wrap, into a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled, from 1-2 hours.
- Take dough out of bowl and knead a few times. Form it into either a ball of loaf and place into what you are baking it in. I used my dutch oven and made a round loaf. Let it rise for about 40 minutes until it's puffy. Bake in a 375F oven with the lid on for 20-30 minutes. Take the lid off and bake for 5-10 more minutes or until it's golden brown. If you are baking a loaf, bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool otherwise it might be gummy. Slice and enjoy!
- I stored my uneaten bread in the fridge. I love it toasted and spread with coconut oil!
Looks super yummy!
Thank you! 😀
Ohh this looks SO delicious! I’m a huge fan of homemade bread (though I don’t 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 can’t wait to try this. Love your posts! And just yesterday I slipped on ice while getting into my car and spilled my green smoothie…complete with flax seed all over my drivers seat and seat belt. Yuck!! You can imagine what it looks like…Northern Michigan problems
Thanks Meghan! I can’t 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 you’ve described it! I do love making bread, and I also love the smell of the yeast. I think it’s 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 my… this looks sooooo delicious. Wallnuts are seriously great in baked goods 🙂 Yum!
I agree! Recently we’ve been putting walnuts in our pasta… sooo yummy!
Delicious looking bread! I’d love to make a grilled cheese out of it. I believe in the 5 second rule, so I totally don’t 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 Help—-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.