Apple Cider Cranberry Bread

5 Comments

YIELDS: 2 large loaves

PREP: 1 Hr 20 Min

CHILL TIME: 8 Hr

COOK TIME: 30 Min

Real apple cider, fresh fruit, and nuts make this scrumptious bread perfect for autumn or anytime. Our Apple Cider Cranberry Bread will look beautiful in your holiday bread basket, too!

What You'll Need

DOUGH:
4 1/2 teaspoons Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 to 6-1/4 cups bread flour, divided (we used King Arthur)
FILLING:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup peeled, cored, and chopped Jonathan apple
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup apple cider

What to Do

In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, combine yeast, warm water, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in remaining sugar, eggs, cider, salt, lemon juice, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 3 cups flour. Beat on low speed 2 minutes.
Beat in 3 cups flour. Knead with dough hook until moderately soft dough forms, 5 to 8 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary. Use remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to grease a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl; turn to grease top. Cover; refrigerate dough overnight.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes.
To make filling, in a small bowl, mix together butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, and vanilla, stirring with a spoon. Set aside.
Punch down dough; divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 10- x 15-inch rectangle. Divide butter filling mixture evenly and spread within 1 inch of edges of each rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with apples, cranberries, and pecans. Starting from long side, tightly roll up and pinch edges to seal.
Using a floured knife, cut ropes lengthwise in half. With cut-sides up, twist two ropes around each other to form a single piece. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Pinch ends together. Cover loaves, let rise 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy but NOT doubled.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and done. To prevent overbrowning, tent loaves with foil for the last 5 minutes.
To make glaze, mix all glaze ingredients with a spoon, beating until smooth.
Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves. Garnish by sprinkling each loaf with 2 tablespoons cranberries and 2 tablespoons pecans.

Notes

For more scrumptious Festival of Breads Contest-winning bread recipes, try Quick Raisin Granola Breakfast Rolls, Sweet Wheat Bread, and Fruit of the Vine and Rosemary Olive Oil Snack Bread with Pine Nuts.

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grannyblu

Oct 30, 2014

*****ALERT*** Mr. Food Team!! although this is a wonderful recipe for the Holidays and I am planning in making it this is NOT a BREAD MACHINE RECIPE

Test Kitchen Team

Oct 30, 2014

Thank you for your comment! We've gone ahead and removed the mention of the bread machine. :)

hicarolhi 5338643

Apr 28, 2014

This looks so yummy. I would like to use this for a brunch I am having next month (May 2014). I do not completely understand instruction #6. It would be most helpful to have a video to watch this particular step. Do you think one could be posted soon?

magicoldwoman 9041 495

Dec 04, 2012

Why does it say to use bread machine , when it is baked in oven???

bbredemeier 040643 6

Dec 29, 2011

I don't understand the recipe where it says cut ropes lengthwise in half. Twist two ropes around each other. On the cranberry bread recipe.