Cinnamon Cranberry Bread
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When we hitched the knot back in 1996, we received a bread maker as a wedding gift. It was the “must have” appliance of the day, and we used it frequently until it suffered an unfortunate collision with our kitchen floor about 10 years ago. We didn’t bother replacing it at the time, reasoning that we didn’t eat that much bread anyway and that it took up a lot of storage space in our tiny kitchen.
Fast forward a decade, add four more kids to the mix, and bread is now one of our biggest ongoing grocery expenses. We recently reacquired a bread maker and I’ve been averaging about five loaves a week ever since.
In my opinion, bread maker bread is so much better when baked in the oven, so that is what my recipe suggests. It’s an easy and frugal way to make artisan loaves at home!
(Note: This recipe is scaled for a 1.5lb machine.)
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup water
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup buttermilk powder
1-1/2 tsp bread machine or “instant” yeast
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1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add the first 5 ingredients in order given. Before adding the buttermilk powder, flatten the flour to prevent the buttermilk powder and yeast from touching the liquid.
Select “Dough Setting” on your machine, and start the cycle.
Tip: While your dough is mixing, place a pot of warm water inside your oven, and heat it to 170F. Turn off oven and keep the door closed. This turns your oven into a “proofer” for the second rise of your dough. Remove the pot of water before preheating to bake.
When the “Add Ingredient” signal sounds, open your machine and add 1 cup of dried cranberries. Firmly close the top of your machine, and allow the dough cycle to finish.
When your machine is done, remove the dough from the pan. Gently flatten it into an approximately 6” x 9” rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Mix the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle it evenly onto the surface of the dough. Roll the dough like a jelly roll along the wide side, pinch closed, and tuck the ends underneath to create a smooth surface.
Place into a greased bread pan (I really love my cast-iron ones for stuff like this), and cover with a piece of greased parchment paper and a damp tea towel. Place inside your oven (or into another warm, draft-free place), and allow it to rise until doubled (approximately 30-40 min).
Remove from oven, and preheat oven to 400F. Bake bread for 30 min, or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool completely before slicing.