Many bread recipes call for adding a pan of water to the oven while baking. The steam from the water keeps the surface of your dough moist and flexible, delaying the crust formation during the early stages of baking so it can rise beautifully. This creates a more open interior and a crisper crust.
Cranberry-Walnut Bread
Make 1 (13-inch) loaf
Ingredients
- 4¾ cups (603 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 4 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) instant yeast*
- 1 cup (128 grams) unsweetened dried cranberries
- 1 cup (113 grams) chopped toasted walnuts
- 2 cups (480 grams) warm water (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)
- 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
- Semolina flour, for dusting
- 4 cups (960 grams) boiling water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together bread flour, salt, and yeast by hand; stir in cranberries and walnuts. Add 2 cups (480 grams) warm water and honey; using the paddle attachment, beat at low speed until a sticky dough forms, about 30 seconds.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 1½ to2 hours. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; dust parchment with semolina flour.
- Heavily dust a work surface with bread flour; turn out dough. Using floured hands, lightly press dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Starting with one short side, roll up dough into a log, pressing edges to seal. Place log, seam side down, on prepared pan. Sprinkle top of dough with semolina flour. Loosely cover dough with a greased sheet of plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Position oven racks in bottom and center of oven. Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Score top of dough as desired. Place on center oven rack. Carefully place 4 cups (960 grams) boiling water in a baking pan on bottom oven rack.
- Immediately reduce oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Bake for 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil to prevent excess browning, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of loaf registers 200°F (93°C), 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
*We used Platinum® Yeast from Red Star®.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Can you make this with GF flours?
Hi Orly,
Yes, you can sub one-for-one with gluten-free flour. Happy baking!
enjoyed this recipe – my loaf did not rise that much but it did spread out alot instead.
Can I make this into a boule instead of a loaf? If so will I still need to roll out the dough
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for reaching out. You can make this into a boule. You still need to flatten it out first to get to that shape. Otherwise, you will end up with large gaps and uneven air bubbles. Make sure you are making a tight shape with tension on top. It takes practice! Happy baking!