I love this bread. It has all the things I love in the winter; craisins, toasted pecans, cinnamon, honey, and oats. It comes together easily, bakes up beautifully, and makes the perfect base for sandwiches made from Christmas and Thanksgiving leftovers.
This recipe started as something I found on All Recipes, but I’ve changed it quite a bit. My biggest change is the method; I’ve tweaked the wet/dry ratio so I can use the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day method. That is, no kneading, just mixing and waiting. Brilliant.
Just mix everything together, leave the dough in a covered bowl on your counter, and wait 2–5 hours. It makes a perfect easy add-on to a big Thanksgiving or Christmas meal since there is so little active time.
Cranberry Pecan Bread
¼ cup whole oats
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp table salt
¼ tsp baking soda (USA / Canada)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ tsp dry active yeast
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecan pieces, toasted
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp honey
1 ½ tbsp butter, melted & cooledMix everything together in a big bowl. Cover and leave it on your counter for 2–5 hours. Bake immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.
When you want to bake it, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9×4″ loaf pan. Dust your hands with flour, shape the dough into a loaf, and plop it into your loaf pan. Let rise for about 40 minutes.
Bake for 40–60 minutes, until the top is well browned and the bottom sounds hollow when knocked. Let cool, slice, and devour!
