Cranberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This easy cranberry cinnamon swirl bread is soft and fluffy with a filling of cranberries, brown sugar, and orange. Perfect for the holidays!
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 2 8x4-inch loaves (about 10 slices per loaf)
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 packet instant yeast scant 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and at room temperature
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
For the Filling:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast, and salt. Add the butter, egg, and orange zest.
- Heat the buttermilk and 1/4 cup orange juice squeezed from the zested orange to the temperature specified by the yeast manufacturer (120 to 130 degrees F for Red Star Platinum). If the buttermilk separates, simply whisk it back together. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, mix on low speed (or mix by hand with a wooden spoon) until the ingredients come together and form a ball.
- Switch to a dough hook (or turn out onto a lightly floured surface) and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes or knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, pliable, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, until the dough doubles in size. To check dough readiness, gently press the dough with two fingers. If the indent stays, the dough is ready.
- Prepare the cranberry filling: In a food processor, pulse the whole cranberries until they’re ground and pebbly, but not completely pureed, scraping the machine down once or twice. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set both aside.
- Lightly oil two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces (use a kitchen scale if you have one). Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a rectangle that is 5 inches wide by 8 inches long. Brush with half of the melted butter, sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture (it will seem like a lot, but pile it thickly), and scatter half of the cranberries over the top.
- Working from the short (5-inch) side of the dough, roll up the length of the dough, jelly-roll style, pinching the crease with each rotation to seal in the filling and strengthen the dough’s surface tension. The loaf will spread as you roll, reaching 8 to 9 inches (the length of your loaf pan). Pinch the final seam closed, then lift the loaf and rock it gently back and forth to even it out. Place the loaf in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Mist two pieces of plastic wrap with cooking spray and loosely cover the pans. Let the loaves rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until the dough is nearly doubled in size.
- Place rack in center of the oven, then preheat to 350 degrees F. Place the loaf pans on a large sheet pan, ensuring that they do not touch. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the sheet pan 180 degrees, then bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaves reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. The finished loaves will be brown on the top, golden on the sides, and sound hollow when tapped.
- Immediately remove the bread from the pans, then let cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy warm with butter.
Notes
- MAKE-AHEAD: After shaping the loaves, you can let the loaves rise in the refrigerator overnight, then bake the next morning, Allow the loaves to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- TO STORE: Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Cover the bread tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 20) slicesCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg
