There is something extra nice about warm bread on a quiet morning. Even better when there is butter melting into it before you take the first bite. This cranberry loaf is soft, lightly sweet, and dotted with tart cranberries that have been soaked in apple juice first. That gives them a gentle fruit flavor without turning the bread into cake.
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Homemade Cranberry Loaf
This is the kind of loaf that fit a brunch table really well. Fresh from the oven, split open, a little butter on top. This makes this bread a fit for everyone.
The dough is simple: milk, yeast, flour, sugar, salt and butter come together in a soft and rich yeast dough. The cranberries get soaked overnight in apple juice, which helps plump them up before they go into the dough. That small step gives the bread more feeling, makes sure the fruit won't burn and makes sure the bread doesn't feel dry.
In the recipe card I describe two foolproof routes to prepare the dough: with a mixer and a bread machine. Because really I like to use both, it makes life easier (which is what everybody wants).
What do you need?
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- You need cranberries, apple juice, whole milk, water, instant yeast, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and unsalted butter. That is it. No glaze, no citrus topping, no extra fuss.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the softest crumb.
- Cranberries: Dry the soaked cranberries well before mixing them into the dough, or they can make the dough wetter than you want. You can also swap the cranberries for raisins and currants if you want a raisin bread version.
- Yeast: This recipe uses instant yeast. You can also use dry yeast (1 ½ teaspoons (5 grams)) or fresh yeast (10 grams). When using dry or fresh yeast, you must first dissolve the yeast in tepid water with sugar before adding it to the dough so that it starts. Do not use hot water, as this will kill the yeast.
How to make it
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Soak the cranberries in apple juice overnight. The next day, pat them dry well with paper towels.
- Step 2: Mix the dough ingredients, leaving out the butter at first. Knead, then add the butter and keep kneading until the dough turns smooth and elastic. Or put everything in the bread machine, knead and let it rise.
- Step 3: Mix the dried cranberries into the dough, shape it and put it into a baking tin and let it rest and rises.
- Step 4: Bake until golden, then brush the warm loaf with butter and cool on a rack.
Top Tips
- Dry the cranberries well after soaking so the dough does not get too wet.
- Knead until the dough feels elastic, not just mixed. It may start a little stiff and then turn smooth.
- Brush the buns with butter right after baking for a softer finish.
Delicious with
- Serve these warm with butter.
- They are also good with a little jam, soft cream cheese, or next to coffee or tea at brunch.
Yes the same dough can be bakes as small buns in small bread tins. Bake them for 25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C)
Yes. You can swap in raisins and currants for a raisin bread version.
Yes. That step helps soften them, makes sure they won't burn when baking and gives the bread a better texture
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
Filling
- 7 ounces cranberries
- ⅓ cup apple juice
Dough
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water, tepid
- 1½ grams yeast, instant
- 2⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter , unsalted, room temperature , cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter , Extra, to brush the buns after baking
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Filling
- Soak the cranberries in the apple juice overnight.7 ounces cranberries, ⅓ cup apple juice
Preparation dough with a mixer with dough hooks
- Put the milk, water, yeast, flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Knead for 5 minutes.½ cup whole milk, ½ cup water, 1½ grams yeast, instant, 2⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the butter cubes and knead for another 5 minutes, or longer if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.2 tablespoons butter
- Pat the cranberries dry with paper towels and mix them into the dough by hand.
- Grease a bowl lightly with oil.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl.
- Turn to coat the dough lightly with oil. Cover with plastic foil and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until doubled.
Preparation with a bread baking machine
- Put all the ingredients, except for the cranberries in the machine and turn the dough program (knead plus the first rise) on.½ cup whole milk, ½ cup water, 1½ grams yeast, instant, 2⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter
- Meanwhile dry the cranberries with a towel and add after 10 minutes of kneading.
- Continue with the program.
Continue (after finishing the first step for both methods)
- Transfer the dough to your work surface, press out the air, and shape into a ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Flatten into a rectangle as wide as your baking tin, roll up firmly, and pinch the seam closed.
- Place the dough seam-side down in a bread tin.
- Press each piece flat into a rectangle with the width of your baking tin.
- Roll the dough firmly to make a roll and press the seam tightly.
- Place the dough with the seam side down in the pan. Repeat for all pieces.
- Cover with plastic foil and let rise in a warm place for 60 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 380 °F. Place the bread in the oven, immediately lower the temperature to 350 °F, and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the tin, brush with melted butter, and cool on a rack.1 tablespoon butter
Notes
- Room temperature: Store in a bread container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Do not store in the fridge.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 weeks and warm briefly in the oven if you want them served warm.
Nutrition
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