With the sudden drop in temperature, today truly felt like the first day of fall. I swear the rustling of the leaves was whispering to me, “fresh baked bread… fresh baked bread…” I could not resist the urge to make a hearty loaf of cranberry whole wheat bread. What better way to welcome autumn?

I have been a baker/pastry chef by profession for over 25 years. I own Chocolatebakery.com, an internet based mail-order bakery, as well as a local retail/wholesale bakery. My friends and family are always amazed that I can bake all day at my bakery, then go home and still want to bake on frequent evenings and weekends. I am drawn to baking. What can I say? I think it must be in my blood. Once while researching my family tree, I discovered a distant ancestor with the last name of Kitchen.

I would like to share my recipe for Cranberry-Walnut Whole Wheat Bread, as well as a few tips on bread making.

CRANBERRY-WALNUT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
YIELD: 1 LOAF
GROUP I. ingredients:

1 CUP WARM WATER, 105 TO 115 O F.

1 TBL. (PKG.) ACTIVE DRY YEAST
GROUP II. ingredients:
2 TBL. BROWN SUGAR

2 TBL. HONEY

2 TBL. BUTTER OR MARGARINE, SOFTENED

1 TSP. SALT.

1 1/3 C BREAD FLOUR

1 1/3 C WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

1/3 C NON FAT DRY MILK POWDER
GROUP III. ingredients:
1/2 TSP. ORANGE ZEST

1/3 TO 1/2 C DRIED CRANBERRIES

1/3 CUP COARSELY CHOPPED WALNUTS (or PECANS)

1. DISSOLVE YEAST IN WATER FOR 10 MINUTES.

2. IN MIXING BOWL, MIX TOGETHER ALL INGREDIENTS IN GROUP II.

3. ADD WATER AND YEAST.

4. USING DOUGH HOOK ATTACHMENT, MIX ON LOW- MEDIUM SPEED 8 MINUTES.

5. ADD GROUP III. INGREDIENTS.

6. MIX 2 MORE MINUTES.

7. PLACE IN LARGE OILED BOWL. COVER, SET IN WARM PLACE (80o to 90o) FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR TO 1 1/2 HOURS, TILL DOUGH IS DOUBLED IN BULK.

8. MAKE UP INTO LOAF OR ROLLS.

9. COVER AND LET RISE AGAIN TILL NOT QUITE DOUBLE IN BULK.

10. BAKE AT 390OF, 25 TO 30 MINUTES FOR LOAF, 12 TO 17 MINUTES FOR ROLLS, DEPENDING ON SIZE OF ROLLS. THE CRUST SHOULD BE GOLDEN BROWN, SOUND HOLLOW WHEN THUMPED ON THE BOTTOM, AND THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE 200O F WHEN TESTED WITH AN INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER.

11. IMMEDIATELY OUT OF THE OVEN, BRUSH LIGHTLY WITH MELTED BUTTER.

TIPS:

You can substitute instant yeast for the active dry. Do not mix the instant yeast with water. (Omit step 1.) Mix the dry yeast into the flour, follow the recipe. Instant yeast is sometimes labeled “Bread Machine Yeast”. I actually prefer instant yeast because it saves me the step of dissolving the yeast.

If you don’t have bread flour, you can substitute all purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, which contributes to the structure of the bread. There are 2 specific proteins in wheat flour, glutenin and gliadin, which, when mixed with water, form an elastic network of protein strands. This elastic network stretches and traps CO2 (carbon dioxide) produced by the yeast. This is what causes your dough to rise. If you use cake flour, which has a much lower protein content than bread flour or all purpose, you won’t develop as strong a gluten network. The finished loaf of bread will be lower, and the texture will not be as “bread-like”.

One more thought on flour: higher protein flours absorb more water than lower protein, and whole wheat flour absorbs more water than refined white flour. Different brands of flour absorb water differently. You may have to adjust the water or flour amount in this recipe. Be flexible when making bread.

This recipe describes the mixing method for using a stand mixer with a dough hook. To mix by hand, place water, yeast, sugar, honey, butter, salt and milk powder in a large bowl. Stir in flour, approximately 1/2C at a time, until you cannot stir in any more. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or large wooden cutting board (I put a piece of that non-skid material under my cutting board) Begin hand kneading the dough by folding it over toward you, then pushing/rocking it with the heels of your hands. Give the dough a ¼ turn, then fold, rock, turn, etc.As the dough feels sticky, add more flour a little at a time until enough has all been incorporated to make a slightly tacky dough. The dough should not feel real dry. Most beginning bread makers add too much flour and make a dry dough which is hard to manage. Continue kneading approximately 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough feels springy and elastic. Knead in the orange zest, cranberries and nuts just until incorporated. Proceed with the recipe.

You can substitute coarsely chopped fresh cranberries for the dried.
The purpose of brushing the baked loaf lightly with melted butter is to produce a soft crust. If you like a crisper crust, leave off the butter.

ENJOY!!

Judy Parks, Chocolatebakery.com