I think orange is a flavor that can be enjoyed for every season, which makes this a loaf that can be enjoyed in every season. Who doesn’t love a delicious sourdough loaf that is stuffed with cranberries and smells like citrus?
❤️ Why You’ll Love Cranberry Orange loaf
FESTIVE is the best way to describe this loaf. The hint of orange and pop of cranberry make this loaf a special way to serve cheer at any gathering. There are so many ways to serve this loaf on a Thanksgiving table or Christmas party, but my favorite is putting it in my cream cheese French toast casserole for Christmas morning! You’ll have to check out that recipe, it’s a winner.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Starter – Bubbly, active starter that was fed 6-8 hours prior.
Flour – All purpose and whole wheat flour give this a really well rounded and rustic flavor that pairs well with the cranberry and orange.
Water – Filtered water
Salt – I use pink Himalayan, but use what you have.
Orange – one orange that you can use for both the zest and the juice.
Cranberry – I use dried cranberries from Costco, but any kind of craisin will work.
👩🍳 How to Make
In the morning, feed your starter.
In the afternoon, assemble your dough by mixing together water and bubbly starter until it resembles a milky liquid. Add flour, orange zest, orange juice and salt, and mix until a shaggy dough forms and there are no dry bits of flour. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, soak your cranberries in a shallow bowl of cool water.
After the dough has rested, add your cranberries into the bowl and pull the sides of the dough towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time until a semi – smooth ball forms. This will take about 1 minute.
Let rest for 45 minutes. Then perform your first set of stretch and folds and let rest for another 45 minutes. Repeat 2-4 more times.
The next morning, turn the dough over onto floured surface. Shape into the size of your banneton. Create tension by pushing upward on the dough and rolling down with your hands creating a smooth ball. Place seam-side up in your banneton. Let your bread dough rest for one hour on the counter, or up to 3 days in the fridge.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your Dutch oven to 450 for at least 20 minutes. Flip your dough over onto a piece of parchment paper and score with a sharp blade.
Place the dough into your Dutch oven and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- you can either add in the craisins during the first stretch ad fold or wait until after the bulk fermentation and add them in during the shaping process.
- Zest the orange before slicing and juicing it.
- Wet your hands when performing stretch and folds so your fingers don’t stick to the dough.
🗒 Bakers Schedule
9am: feed your starter a 1:3:3 ratio. (ex: 50g starter + 150g flour + 150g water)
let your starter rise all day (if your starter is in a warm place, or its warm in your house, it will rise faster because warm temperature speeds up fermentation. If its colder in your house, it may take a little longer) I keep my starter on my counter and my house stays aroud 70 degrees.
5pm: when your starter has doubled, assemble your dough by mixing together all your ingredients.
6pm: add in your craisins and work your dough into a smooth ball.
7pm: first stretch and fold/ coil fold
8pm: second stretch and fold/ coil fold
9pm: third stretch and fold/ coil fold
Cover and let the dough rest for the bulk fermentation overnight.
7am: shape your dough, place into bannetons, cover and place it into the fridge for at least 2 hours or continue with the schedule if you want to bake right away.
7:30am: preheat your oven
8am: bake your bread, let cool for at least an hour and enjoy!
🗒 Substitutions
The inclusion combo can be switched to lemon + blueberry.
- Lemon and Blueberry Sourdough loaf
🗒 Best served with
- French toast casserole
- Breakfast
- Dinner side dish
👝 How to Store Leftovers
The best way to store your leftover sourdough bread is in a brown paper bag on the counter, in a bread box, or in a kitchen cabinet.
🤔 Common Questions
It’s best to freeze a sourdough loaf the same day you baked it to maintain its freshness, make sure the bread has completely cooled before slicing it, place it in a ziplock bag straight into the freezer.
It’s best if your bread is stale before using it in a French toast casserole, so let the whole loaf sit for a couple of days and then dice it up and put it in your casserole.
Cranberry and Orange Sourdough Loaf
Equipment
- 1 banneton
Ingredients
- 70 grams bubbly, active starter
- 340 grams filtered water
- 480 grams all purpose flour
- 20 grams whole wheat flour
- 9 grams salt
- 1 – 2 tsp orange zest one whole orange
- 1 – 2 tbs orange juice half of an orange
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In the morning, feed your starter.
- In the afternoon, assemble your dough by mixing together water and bubbly starter until it resembles a milky liquid. Add flour, orange zest, orange juice and salt, and mix until a shaggy dough forms and there are no dry bits of flour. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, soak your cranberries in a shallow bowl of cool water.
- After the dough has rested, add your cranberries into the bowl and pull the sides of the dough towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time until a semi – smooth ball forms. This will take about 1 minute.
- Let rest for 45-1 hour minutes. Then perform your first set of stretch and folds and let rest for another 45 minutes – 1 hour. Repeat 2-4 more times.
- The next morning, turn the dough over onto floured surface. Shape into the size of your banneton. Create tension by pushing upward on the dough and rolling down with your hands creating a smooth ball. Place seam-side up in your banneton. Let your bread dough rest for one hour on the counter, or up to 3 days in the fridge.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat your Dutch oven to 450 for at least 20 minutes. Flip your dough over onto a piece of parchment paper and score with a sharp blade.
- Place the dough into your Dutch oven and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
How does this fare with fresh cranberries?
I can see how this is a fantastic base for French Toast Casserole. My husband, who loves extra flavor, loved this bread. I found the orange zest too strong and a bit bitter (could have been my zesting technique though not sure), so to make this again I will use less orange zest and be careful to only take top layer of peel.
Made 2 loaves last night, baked this morning, eating it at lunch! So, so good!!