This is the fruit-and-nut loaf I reach for when figs feel too rich. Cranberries are sharper than most dried fruit, and that sharpness is the whole point: they stay tart through the bake instead of collapsing into sweetness, so the loaf tastes bright rather than sugary. The walnuts do what walnuts always do in bread, adding a slightly bitter, tannic crunch that gives the fruit something to push against.

The ratio matters more than it looks. Two parts cranberry to one part walnut means fruit in nearly every bite and nuts often enough to notice. Go heavier on the walnuts and the loaf turns astringent; go heavier on the fruit and it starts reading like a scone.

Formula#

Ingredient	Weight	Baker's %
Bread flour	450g	90%
Whole wheat flour	50g	10%
Water	380g	76%
Starter (active)	100g	20%
Fine sea salt	10g	2%
Dried cranberries	100g	-
Raw walnuts, roughly chopped	50g	-

Quantities are per loaf. The 10% whole wheat is there for a little earthiness behind the fruit; all bread flour works fine and gives you a slightly more open crumb.

On the Inclusions#

Cranberries. 100g per loaf. Most dried cranberries are sweetened, which is fine here since the sourdough acidity balances it, but if you can find unsweetened or juice-sweetened ones the loaf is better for it. Soak them in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to fold them in, then drain them thoroughly and pat them dry. Dry cranberries pull water out of the dough during a long bulk and leave you with a tight, dry crumb around each piece.

If you want to lean into the fruit, soak them in orange juice instead of water. It's a small change that reads as a much bigger one.

Walnuts. 50g per loaf, raw rather than toasted. Toasting deepens the nuttiness but also flattens the bitterness, and that bitterness is what keeps the cranberries honest. Chop them roughly into pieces around the size of a pea. Whole halves create weak points in the crumb, and the loaf will tear along them instead of along your score.

Walnut skins leach tannins into the dough and will tint the surrounding crumb a faint purple-grey. This is normal. It's not a sign that anything has gone wrong.

Mix and Bulk Fermentation#

Mix the flours and water until shaggy and autolyse for 30 minutes. Add the starter and salt and work them in fully.

Add the drained cranberries and the walnuts at the end of mixing, folding them in gently rather than kneading. Fold four sets of stretch and folds over the first two hours at 30 minute intervals, tucking any escaped pieces back into the dough as you go.

Bulk runs about 5.5 hours at 76°F. Watch for a 50 to 60% rise, a domed and bubbly surface, and a dough that feels airy between the inclusions. The fruit adds a little sugar to the dough, which can speed fermentation slightly, so watch the dough rather than the clock.

Shaping#

Pre-shape gently and bench rest 20 minutes. Final shape into a boule or batard without over-tightening. The cranberries sit just under the surface and tear through the skin easily if you drag the dough.

Cold retard 10 to 14 hours. The overnight rest firms the fruit and makes scoring far easier.

Baking#

Preheat the Dutch oven at 500°F for a full 45 minutes. Score with a single deep arc or a decisive off-centre ear.

Bake covered at 500°F for 20 minutes, then uncover, drop to 450°F, and bake another 22 to 26 minutes. Any cranberries at the surface will darken and go slightly chewy-crisp, which is exactly what you want. If they look like they're burning before the crust is done, tent the loaf loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

Cool at least 2 hours before cutting. The crumb around the fruit needs time to set.

How to Eat It#

Plain and thin the first day. Toasted on the second, with salted butter, which is when the cranberries taste their brightest. It also makes an exceptional base for a sharp cheese or a slice of turkey, if you're reading this in late November.