261. cranberry walnut bread

A nice treat for tea time

I love slightly sweet breads to have with some butter or jam and a hot cup of tea. I came across this recipe in  taste of home magazine and thought what a lovely healthy combination of nuts, cranberries and maple syrup. I tried it out this weekend and don't even have a slice left over. Got to bake it again. What I love about this bread is that its an excellent in between snack treat and you don't have to feel guilty about loading too many calories. Have it without butter and it still tastes yummy.This recipe is diabetic friendly. Dunk a chunky slice into milk, coffee or tea. Enjoy your tea time.

CRANBERRY WALNUT BREAD
1 big loaf or 2 small ones

½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup hot water
2¼ cup plain flour or bread flour (all purpose flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
2¼ tsp instant active dry yeast
1½ tsp salt
½ cup milk
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soft butter
½ cup chopped walnuts
extra butter for greasing and topping

1. Combine hot water and dried cranberries. Let the cranberries soak in the hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Lightly roast the nuts in a pan.
3. Drain out the water from the cranberries and combine it with the milk and maple syrup. Keep the cranberries on the side.
4. Heat up the mixture till it is luke warm.
5. Sieve 2 cups of plain flour, whole wheat flour and salt into a big bowl.
6. Add the yeast and mix  the flour well.
7. Rub the butter into the flour.
8. Add the warm liquid into the flour and knead into a dough. 
9. Using the remaining ¼ cup flour, knead the dough for nearly 10 to15 minutes using the heel of your palm till it is smooth and silky. Add the soaked cranberries and walnuts. Knead them into the dough. Form the dough into a big ball.
10. Grease the bowl and the dough with some butter.
11. Place the dough into the bowl and cover it with a cling film or plastic sheet and let it ferment in a warm place till it is double the size. This takes about 2 to 3 hours.
12. Gently punch down the dough and form it into a shape of your choice. Can roll it into a big ball, or use  a round cake tin or a loaf tin. Lightly grease the tin or a baking tray. I made 2 small round loaves.
13. Place the shaped dough in a warm place for it to ferment again. This will take about an hour.
14. Preheat the oven to 200°C. When it reaches the correct temperature, place the shaped dough into the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is brown. 
15. Remove the bread from the oven. Place it on a wire rack. Brush the top with some butter.
16. Let the bread cool down before you slice it.

Tips :

• Use dried cherries instead of cranberries.
• Use honey instead of maple syrup.
• If you want a crusty top, don't apply butter on the top as soon as it comes out of the oven. 

You may want to check out the following :

cinnamon rolls

chocolate eclairs

masala bun


sending this recipe for the following event:

http://sweettoothraf.blogspot.com/2014/02/dist-it-out-breads-from-scrath-event.html

http://cooksjoy.com/blog/dish-it-out-schedule