cranberry walnut celebration bread - bread baker's apprentice challenge #11

Another week, another bread. Bread number 11 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is a braided cranberry walnut loaf, and if I'd known it was going to be so delicious I would have pushed myself even more to make last weeks corn bread.

This loaf was my first attempt at a celebration braid - one larger 3 braid, with a smaller 3 braid on top. Quite a sexy looking get-up if you ask me. While it worked well, even if the braids did fall apart slightly, some sections end up so small you may need to cut a few times to fill your tummy. Peter does mention of course you can bake it as a boule or in a regular loaf pan, something I would try next time.

This bread is absolutely jammed pack full of cranberries (9 oz) with a healthy side (3 oz) of chopped up walnut pieces. The trick I've learned with a bread like this, is to knead the dough without the goodies first. Once you are almost ready to give up, start incorporating the bonus goodies. By the time you're happy, the goodies will be peppered throughout and the dough will be ready to rise.

I was really impressed with the crust of this bread; for some reason it really appealed to me. The loaf was devoured in a day and a half as my fellow homesteaders enjoyed the bread with every meal, and my father claiming it made for a great midnight snack. We are all out of walnuts at the moment or else I wold bake it again pronto. Next time however I will cut myself a larger piece...or maybe hide it somewhere!