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I am all in on the cranberry orange flavor profile this holiday season. Finely chopping the cranberries has been the key for me to unlocking their bright, tart and delicious flavors in so many of my favorite baked goods – like these popular cranberry orange sourdough scones – and so of course I had to add them into a cranberry orange sourdough artisan loaf.
And boy – it does NOT disappoint! Bright pops of cranberry stud this orange-flavored sourdough loaf and make it the perfect loaf to enjoy this holiday season. This is going to be one of those seasonal loaves for me that I look forward to year after year – whenever fresh cranberries hit the produce section – this loaf will be on repeat. I hope you love it too!
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
- Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
- Important Ingredients
- How to Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
- Amy’s Recipe Tip
- Substitutions
- How to Store Leftovers
- If you liked this, you’ll also like…
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Frequently Asked Questions
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf Recipe
Why You’ll Love Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
- Unique Inclusions: You’ll love how this loaf incorporates cranberries and orange flavor for a unique twist on a traditional sourdough loaf. Or try my Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Loaf – another crowd pleaser!
- Holiday Flavor: Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf is the perfect holiday sourdough artisan loaf that you’ll want to make on repeat this holiday season!
- Cranberries: Fresh seasonal cranberries make this sourdough loaf an extra special treat.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
A sample baking schedule helps me when baking with sourdough. Sourdough takes much longer to rise than commercial yeast bread. This schedule helps me plan my bake. This recipe is loosely based off my recipe for sourdough bread.
Keep in mind: This schedule assumes the dough temperature is 78-80°F throughout the process. Colder dough will take longer. Warmer dough will rise faster. If you’d like to make the bread all on the same day, skip the cold fermentation and let the dough rise for a few hours in a banneton before baking.
| Day 1 | Levain/Mixing/Bulk Fermentation/Shaping/Cold Fermentation |
| 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Mix Levain. Let sit at 78°F for about 3-4 hours until doubled/bubbly and ripe. |
| 11:30 AM | Begin Bulk Fermentation Mix Dough. Let sit for 30 minutes before first set of stretch and folds. |
| 12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM | Stretch and Fold #1 Stretch and Fold #2 Stretch and Fold #3 Stretch and Fold #4 |
| 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Bulk Fermentation Continued |
| 4:30 PM | Laminate in chopped cranberries Shape and begin cold fermentation |
| Day 2 | Score and Bake |
| 9:00 AM | Preheat Dutch oven |
| 9:30 AM | Score and Bake |
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter – Use an active/ripe sourdough starter (doubled in size/bubbly/mild sour aroma) to mix the levain.
- Bread Flour – I almost always use a 12.5% protein bread flour for my breads. Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf is mixed with a high water content and needs to be paired with a strong flour. If you don’t have bread flour and substitute all-purpose, you will need to reduce some of the water in the recipe.
- Water – I use tap water in my baking and usually warm it up to help keep the dough warm during the fermentation process. If the dough is cold, the fermentation will move more slowly.
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavor and helps temper the fermentation – don’t leave it out!
- Granulated Sugar – Adding granulated sugar sweetens this sourdough loaf and compliments the cranberry orange flavors.
- Orange Zest & Juice – A combination of fresh orange zest and orange juice gives this sourdough loaf its delicious flavor.
- Cranberries – Pulse fresh cranberries in a blender to give them a fine chop before including them in this recipe.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
Mix the Levain
1:1:1 Levain (ready in 3-4 hours/same day): This recipe calls for a levain mixed the same day you mix the dough. It should take 3-4 hours until it’s ready to be mixed with the dough, if you keep the levain temperature at 78-80°F. Levain is ready when it has doubled in size, has lots of bubbles, a slightly sour aroma and is just about to start going down from its peak height. Mix together:
- 45 grams of ripe/mature starter
- 45 grams of warm water
- 45 grams of bread flour
Do you have to use a levain in this recipe? No. I prefer it, but if you have a well-maintained and frequently refreshed starter, you can substitute that in place of the levain in the recipe.
Mix the Dough and Begin Bulk Fermentation
Once your levain has doubled in size and has peaked, combine ripe levain with water, granulated sugar, orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. Whisk together. Add bread flour and salt. Mix together using a dough whisk or spoon until a wet and sticky dough forms and the ingredients are fully combined. Cover sourdough cranberry orange dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Folds
After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 1/2 hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process.
To stretch and fold, wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach down to the bottom of the bowl of dough and pull the dough up and over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn with stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Repeat every 30 minutes for a total of 3-4 times.
After your fourth round of stretch and folds you should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.
Laminating in the Cranberries and Shaping the Dough
After completing your stretch and folds, cover the dough and let rise for 2-2.5 more hours. You’ll know the dough is ready to shape when the dough is puffed up, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.
Prepare cranberries by pulsing fresh cranberries in a blender until finely chopped (or chop finely with a knife). Set aside.
After letting your dough rest for 2-2.5 hours, dump the dough out onto the countertop. Gently pull the dough into a 12 by 12 square shape. Spread most of the fresh chopped cranberries on top of the dough. Add a little extra fresh orange zest if desired. Fold one side of the dough to the middle and then the other side of the dough to the middle. Add the rest of the fresh cranberries on top of that dough. Then roll the dough up into a cylinder or circular shape. Immediately place the dough in the prepared banneton basket without too much handling of the dough.
Cold Ferment and Proofing
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a shower cap and store in the refrigerator overnight for about 18-24 hours.
Alternatively you can let your dough rise outside the fridge for another 3-4 hours and then bake your loaf the same day. If you choose this method, stick your banneton or bowl of dough in the fridge or freezer to chill it for a few minutes before scoring.
Scoring and Baking
When you are ready to bake your Cranberry Orange Sourdough Sourdough Loaf, put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 500ºF. Allow the Dutch oven to heat for about 30 minutes at 500ºF.
Once preheated for 30 minutes, pull your sourdough loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap or shower cap (this is easy to do straight out of the refrigerator if the dough is chilled – not easy if the dough warms up) and place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bread dough. Flip the dough over so that the dough is now sitting on the parchment paper and remove the bowl or banneton.
Score your loaf. You can smooth flour over the top of the dough for a higher contrast or leave the flour off completely for no contrast. Use a bread lame or very sharp knife to score the dough with a large 1 inch deep slash.
After preheating for 30 minutes, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 500ºF oven with hot pads. Take the top off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Be very careful not to touch the sides of the hot Dutch oven. Put your hot pads back on before you pick up the lid of the Dutch oven and place it on top of the bread. Put the whole Dutch oven back into the oven. Lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake for 25 minutes. Once 20 minutes are up, take the top off the Dutch oven and lower the temperature again to 400ºF. Continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is fully baked with an internal temperature of 205ºF. Let loaf cool completely and enjoy!
Amy’s Recipe Tip
If you don’t have fresh cranberries, use this recipe for a cranberry pecan loaf. Add in orange zest and leave out the pecans if desired.
Substitutions
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries can be substituted for fresh in this recipe.
- Sourdough Starter: If you have a ripe, active sourdough starter that is fed equal weights of flour and water you can substitute that for the levain in this recipe.
- Flour: I like using bread flour, but this recipe also works with all-purpose. You can also try it with a combination of up to half whole wheat flour and bread flour.
How to Store Leftovers
I like to let my loaf cool completely. Then slice, stick in an airtight bag and freeze. You can also freeze the whole loaf and then let it thaw or warm back up in the oven for a few minutes before enjoying.
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Cranberry Orange Sourdough Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but craisins will soak up some of the liquid in the loaf so you will want to make some adjustments by soaking the craisins ahead of time or adding a little more water into your loaf, like I do in this cinnamon raisin sourdough. You could also try my cranberry pecan sourdough recipe.
I would not choose to add frozen cranberries. Use dried ones instead if you can’t find fresh. Frozen cranberries will decrease the temperature of your loaf and as they thaw will add a lot of extra liquid to the dough which can get messy and gummy.
If you don’t want to let the dough cold ferment, let it rise for a couple of hours until it’s puffed up and jiggly. Then bake.
Yes! You can bake any sourdough recipe in a loaf pan instead of an artisan loaf.
This recipe doesn’t have any whole wheat flour in it like my artisan sourdough recipe does. Whole wheat speeds up the fermentation process. To help speed up the process without the whole wheat, I added a little extra levain/starter to my initial dough.
I haven’t had that experience with this dough. The small amount of juice and zest adds great flavor when paired with the fresh cranberries.
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
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Ingredients
Levain (1:1:1 ratio, ready in 3-4 hours at 78-80ºF)
- 45 grams sourdough starter, ripe, bubbly and active, about 3 Tablespoons
- 45 grams all-purpose or bread flour, about 6 Tablespoons
- 45 grams water, about 3 Tablespoons
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
- 120 grams levain, ripe, bubbly and active, about 1/2 cup, see recipe notes
- 280 grams water, 1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons
- 75 grams granulated sugar, about 6 Tablespoons
- 6 grams orange zest, about 1 Tablespoon
- 50 grams freshly squeezed orange juice, about 3 Tablespoons, from about 1 large orange
- 10 grams salt, about 1.5 teaspoons
- 500 grams bread flour, about 3.5 cups
- 120 grams fresh cranberries, pulsed in a blender, about 3/4 cup
Instructions
Mix Levain (1:1:1 ratio, ready in 3-4 hours at 78-80ºF)
- Mix together ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose or bread flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 3-4 hours at 78-80°F until doubled, bubbly & peaked.Note: If you have a ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter that is fed equal parts flour and water – it can be substituted for the levain in this recipe.
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf (Dough temperature 78-80ºF – if your dough is colder, this process will take longer. If it's warmer, it will move faster)
- Mix Dough: To a large bowl, mix together ripe levain with water, granulated sugar, orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. Whisk together. Then add bread flour and salt. Mix together using a dough whisk or spoon until a wet and sticky dough forms and the ingredients are fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Folds: After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 1/2 hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process. To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach around the dough down to the bottom of the bowl, pull the dough up and over and place it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn, stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside. Take note of how the dough feels through this process. It will go from feeling a little shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and wait about 30 minutes in between stretch and folds.
- Stretch and fold #1: 30 minutes into bulk fermentationStretch and fold #2: 30 minutes later, the dough will spread outStretch and fold #3: 30 minutes later, stretch and fold again. Stretch and fold #4: 30 minutes later, stretch and fold again. You should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong during this stretch and fold and not needing very much folding to come together. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.
- Rest: Cover the dough and let rise for 2-2.5 more hours. You’ll know the dough is ready to shape when the dough is puffed up, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.
- Prepare Cranberries: Pulse fresh cranberries in a blender until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Shaping: When the dough is showing signs that it's ready to shape, dump the dough out onto the countertop. Gently pull the dough into a 12 by 12 square shape. Spread about 3/4 of the fresh cranberries on top of the dough. Add a little extra orange zest if desired (optional). Fold one side of the dough to the middle and then the other side of the dough to the middle. Add the rest of the fresh cranberries on top of that dough. Then roll the dough up into a cylinder or circular shape. Immediately place the dough in the prepared banneton basket without too much handling of the dough.Note: Cranberries tend to release some juices after they have been diced. There is no need to add the excess cranberry juice into the bread. If your cranberries are wet, pat them down with a paper towel before adding on top of the dough.
- Cold Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a shower cap and store in the refrigerator overnight for about 18-24 hours. Alternatively you can let your dough rise outside the fridge for another 3-4 hours and then bake your loaf the same day. If you choose this method, stick your banneton or bowl of dough in the fridge or freezer to chill it for a few minutes before scoring.
- Pre-heat the Oven: Put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 500ºF. Allow the Dutch oven to heat for about 30 minutes at 500ºF.
- Once preheated for 30 minutes, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap or shower cap (this is easy to do straight out of the refrigerator if the dough is chilled – not easy if the dough warms up) and place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bread dough. Flip the dough over so that the dough is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl banneton and liner.
- Scoring: Smooth flour over the top of the dough or leave the flour off completely for no contrast. Use a bread lame or very sharp knife to score the dough. Bread with inclusions typically does not score quite as well as bread without. This is not a loaf for intricate scoring. One large slash, about 1 inch deep is sufficient.
- Bake: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 500ºF oven with hot pads. Take the top off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Be very careful not to touch the sides of the hot Dutch oven. Put your hot pads back on before you pick up the lid of the Dutch oven and place it on top of the bread. Put the whole Dutch oven back into the oven. Lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake for 25 minutes. Once 25 minutes are up, take the top off the Dutch oven and lower the temperature again to 400ºF. Continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is fully baked with an internal temperature of 205ºF. Let loaf cool completely and enjoy!Note: If your oven runs hot or you are using a dark cast iron pot, there's a tendency for the bottom of the loaf to burn. Make sure to put a sheet pan on the rack underneath the pot to deflect the heat and decrease the temperature to 425ºF instead of 450ºF.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m loving this bread it’s so delicious! I bake in a Dutch oven with a cookie sheet on the rack below and I have lowered my oven temperature but my bottom still gets a bit too dark. Any suggestions? I’m preheating now at 475 and baking at 425 and then 400 with the lid on until the last 5 minutes because I prefer a softer crust. Is that why it’s getting to dark on the bottom? My pot is light colored and I have used silicone slings and parchment with the same results.
Sweeter loaves do tend to get darker on the bottom. I have heard of some people using uncooked rice to prevent burning. I haven’t tried it myself, but it’s worth looking up, since it sounds like you have already tried a lot of other options.
Amy Bakes’ orange cranberry sourdough bread is excellent—crispy crust, great texture, and wonderful flavor. The directions are clear and easy to follow, making the whole process simple and enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Thanks for the review! I’m glad you loved the bread.
If I use dried cranberries would you suggest to sooke them before?
I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard from other commenters that they have done that with good results!