I’m making this bread for our Christmas Eve Swedish Smorgasbord feast. It is a variation on Jim Lahey’s famous no-knead crusty artisan bread, which has been featured, amended, and rebranded as the New York Times “Almost” no-knead bread loaf, which we’ve made on numerous occasions over the years. It is also the recipe on which most of my recent sourdough adventures have been based. It is a genuine holiday treat, and worthy of your time and attention. Try it sometime. You’ll like how easy it is and how wonderful it tastes. I also have a standard recipe for the bread without the fruit and nuts, which you can find by searching on “Jim Lahey bread” or “New York Times No-Knead bread.”

Crusty Cranberry-Nut No-Knead Artisan Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and bench

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (10 g)

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

3/4 cup (95 g) chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

3/4 cup (105 g) dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon honey

1 1/2 cups (360 g) warm water (95-100 degrees)

Preparation:

1. Stir the first six ingredients (flour through honey) together in a large bowl. Stir in the water and mix well to incorporate and hydrate all the flour. Gather into a homogenous ball. Cover tightly and rest on the counter 12-18 hours.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. transfer to a 12×12 piece of lightly oiled parchment paper. Score the dough as desired with a lame or sharp knife 1/2″ deep. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough is resting, place a covered Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees. After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven and carefully place the bread (on the parchment paper) into the pot. Cover and place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove the lid and continue to bake 8-10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, lift the bread from the pot and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing/serving.
4. The bread can be stored in a zip-close plastic bag for one week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes: The dough can be premade and frozen for up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic and placed in a freezer container after Step 2. To bake, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge or 2-3 hours at room temperature, then resume at Step 3.

You can replace up to 1/2 the flour with whole-wheat flour for a chewier crumb and a slightly nutty taste.

Raisins can be substituted for cranberries, and

This recipe is published courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction, at www.sallysbakingaddiction.com