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–+ servings
Cranberry Nut Swirl Bread 2

Spiced Cranberry and Nut Swirl Bread

Kankana Saxena
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Servings 2 7-inch loaves

Ingredients
 

for the bread

  • 3.5 cups all-purpose flour + ½ cup more for dusting and adjusting
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • zest of 2 large oranges (does not hurt to add more, if you love it)
  • scant ¾ cup nuts ((any kind you want. I have used a combination of walnuts and pistachios))
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 3-4 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar to sprinkle on the top

for the filling

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon dry ginger powder
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon mace
  • ½ teaspoon all spice
  • ½ teaspoon powdered clove
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon water (warm)

Instructions
 

  • Lightly toast the nuts on a skillet or in the oven at 350 F, for about 5-7 minutes. Cool and chop to small pieces.
  • Rub in the orange zest into the flour with your finger tips. This releases the aromatic oil from the zest and flavors the flour.
  • Dissolve one teaspoon sugar in warm water (make sure the water is comfortable to dip you finger in. If the water is too hot, it will kill  the yeast). Dissolve the yeast in the water, cover and let it sit until it foams and rises.
  • Beat the egg. Stir the milk, egg, melted butter, 3-4 tablespoons sugar and salt into the yeast combined water. Add 3.5 cups of the flour and stir to form a loose dough. Knead in your mixer on low speed with a dough hook. If you do not have a processor, knead by hand for 10 minutes to form a smooth, slightly tacky dough. If it’s very sticky, add a little more flour. The dough is ready when it springs back when poked, can be rolled into a ball without sticking to your palms.
  • Dust the nuts and the cranberries with a one tablespoon of flour . If mixing with a machine, with the mixer on gradually add them to the bowl and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed.
  • If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it into an oval. Sprinkle about half the nut and cranberry over the top and fold the dough into half. Pat it and sprinkle the remaining cranberry nut mix, and fold it again, almost in a triangle. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes to distribute the nuts and cranberries through the dough.
  • Place the dough to the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour to one and a half hours.
  • Meanwhile, combine the sugar and all the spices in a bowl and beat together the egg and water in another bowl.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and roll the dough out on the counter. It should be slightly less wide than your baking pan and as long as you can make it. The thinner the dough, the more swirls you will have. If the dough starts to shrink back on you, let it rest for a few minutes and then try again.
  • Brush the entire surface of the dough with egg wash, leaving about an inch clear on all sides. Sprinkle generously with spice and sugar mix. Make a thin fold on both the longer sides/edges of the rolled dough.
  • Starting at the end closest to you, tightly roll up the dough. When you get to the top, pinch and seal the seam closed. Transfer the loaf to your loaf pan seam-side down.
  • Let the loaves rise until mounded over the top of the pan, 30-40 minutes. Halfway through rising, preheat the oven to 375° F.
  • Brush the top with some of the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on the loaf. Bake for approximately 40 minutes until golden brown on the top. Half way through, if you notice that the top is already brown and turning dark, loosely cover the top with a foil to prevent further browning and then burning.
  • Remove the loaf from the pan and allow them to cool completely before slicing.
  • Baked loaves can also be frozen for up to three months.