Sourdough Cranberry Walnut Boule is a beautiful, rustic loaf of bread filled with cranberries and walnuts. This bread graces the senses with a wonderful dance of both sweet and earthy tones. It’s perfect for a holiday appetizer, toasted and served with a homemade jam, or as the base for a delectable turkey sandwich.
FAQ’s
Why toast the walnuts?
Untoasted walnuts have a soft bite to them. Toasting the walnuts before placing them in the dough gives them a lovely “crunch” after the bread is baked.
Why soak the dried cranberries?
Soaking the dried cranberries allows them to absorb water before placing them in the bread. Soaking the cranberries will overall give the bread a better texture (soft & moist cranberries are more delightful in bread than chewy ones).
Can I use fresh cranberries?
No, it is not recommended to use fresh cranberries. Fresh cranberries are tart and hard. Dried cranberries compliment the bread + walnuts much better.
What is a levain?
A levain mixes a small amount of sourdough starter with a large amount of flour and water. It essentially ensures that the sourdough starter is strong enough to make a beautiful loaf of bread.
Feel free to skip the levain and use recently fed sourdough starter if you are working with a strong, established starter. If you have a new starter and/or are a new baker, I’d recommend following the instructions for a levain.
What is a stretch-&-fold?
A stretch-and-fold is a term that describes, quite literally, stretching and folding the dough in order to create tension within the gluten structures of the dough.
See here to learn how to do this!
How is a sourdough cranberry walnut boule shaped?
Shaping a round loaf of sourdough is rather easy to do!
I have a tutorial on it here.
Tips
- Prepare the cranberries and walnuts when the sourdough starter is fed. This will help to ensure that the cranberries + walnuts have enough time to soak and cool before preparing the dough.
- When short on time, boil the cranberries instead of soaking them. Soaking them is the best option, but boiling them is sufficient. To do so, simply place the cranberries in a small pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. Then, drain the water and allow the cranberries to cool.
Sourdough Cranberry Walnut Boule
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Kitchen Scale
- Mixing Spoon
- Banneton
- Tea Towel or Plastic Wrap
- Parchment Paper
- Dutch Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Levain
- 15 g Sourdough Starter
- 50 g All-Purpose Flour
- 50 g Water purified, preferred
Dough
- 100 g Dried Cranberries
- 100 g Walnuts
- 350 g Water purified, preferred
- 100 g Levain or Active Sourdough Starter
- 50 g Cane Sugar
- 400 g All-Purpose Flour
- 100 g Whole Wheat Flour
- 10 g Salt
Instructions
Levain
- Prepare the levain 6-8 hours before mixing up the dough. To prepare, combine 15 g sourdough starter, 50 g water, and 50 g AP flour in a small bowl or mason jar.
Preparing the Inclusions
- The dried cranberries and walnuts will need to be prepared before mixing the dough. I recommend doing this when the levain is made (or when the starter is fed).
- Cranberries: Place the cranberries in a small bowl. Cover the cranberries with water and cover for 4-12 hours. Drain water before using.
- Walnuts: The walnuts should be toasted before mixing into the dough. To do this, spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes at 375℉ or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before adding to the dough.
Mixing the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sourdough starter, and sugar.
- Add the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Stir until a loose shaggy dough forms.
- Sprinkle the dough with the salt. Pour cranberries (drained) and walnuts (toasted and cooled) over the dough. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 30-60 minutes.
- Then, complete 5 rounds of stretch and folds. The first 3 should be ~15 minutes apart and the last 2 ~30 minutes apart.S&F 1 – 15 min – S&F 2 – 15 min – S&F 3 -30 min – S&F 4 – 30 min – S&F 5
- Cover the dough and allow it to sit until doubled in size (typically 6-8 hours)
- Roll the dough out onto a clean work surface and shape into a boule. Some cranberries and walnuts may fall out at this time- simply place them back into the dough as you are able.
- Place the dough into a floured banneton. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
Baking
- Preheat the dutch oven in the oven at 500℉ for 30-60 minutes.
- Once you are ready to bake the bread, roll the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and cut at least one long, deep expansion cut through the dough (you may do more for decorative flare if you wish).
- Turn the oven down to 450℉. Place the dough + parchment paper inside of the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until browned.
- Once done, remove the bread from the dutch oven. Allow to cool for 4-6 hours before slicing. Then, enjoy!
