Bright red cranberries on the shelves of the stores tell us that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. These tart superfood berries are featured in many holiday dishes. Here is a delicious sourdough bread that is dotted with cranberry pieces. This bread is so delicious toasted and with just a smear of butter.

Cranberries offer a range of health benefits. They are considered to be a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant. Cranberries are native to North America and are grown on over 58,000 acres of farmland on the Western Hemisphere.

No-knead breads are easy to mix together using a spatula and are one of my favorite. No mixer bowl to wash! Yay!! The dough is then allowed to ferment at room temperature for 5-7 hours depending when and how you want to bake the loaf. There are two ways of baking described in the recipe instructions.

To have a successful baking day you do need a mature starter. If you make a starter you will need to feed it for at least 3-4 weeks before you will be able to have a successful baking day. Trust me I have learned from experience. My Bernese Mountain Dogs loved those first super dense flat loaves.

You can purchase sourdough starter on my blog’s Buy it Now Page. https://aroundthefamilytableblog.com/store/

Cranberry No-knead Sourdough Bread THM E, DF, SF

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups active/fed sourdough starter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 3/4 – 3 cups white whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons Gentle Sweet
• In a large mixing bowl: stir water, starter, honey, 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour , and vital wheat gluten together until combined. You will have a rough, sticky dough. Allow dough to set 20 minutes. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup cranberries. Toss with 1/4 cup flour. Add chopped cranberries and salt to the dough. Stir well. Cover and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Remove lid and gently pick up one side of the dough, fold it in half. Repeat with all four sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 4 folding times. Refrigerating ferment: Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 4 hours at room temperature from the time you mix it until you put the dough in the fridge. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Shape following the directions below. Room temperature ferment: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for a total of 7 hours from the time you mix it until you shape it to be baked. Shaping. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I place my clay baker in the oven. The lid and the base on the oven rack to preheat. Press the dough out in a large rectangle. Chop the remaining cranberries. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with Gentle Sweet. Fold dough in 3rds, pinching the edges together to seal the edges. Turn dough and fold in 3rds, pinching to seal edges. Lay the loaf on parchment paper. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife. When the oven is preheated, place loaf and parchment paper in a clay baker. Cover baker with lid. Set the timer for 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. 12-14 slices.
• To be plan approved for THM sourdough items made with sourdough starter needs a 7 hours room temp ferment OR 24 hour fridge ferment. You can combine room and fridge temp, also. 1 hour room temp equals 3.5 hours in the fridge.
• THE 7 HOUR FERMENTING TIME IS COUNTED FROM THE TIME YOU MIX THE DOUGH UNTIL YOU BAKE IT.

2 slices of bread are considered an E category and 1 slice an S-helper under THM guidelines.

I patted and stretched the dough out in a rectangle. The cranberries and Gentle Sweet were spread over the dough.

Here is the loaf ready to go into the hot oven.

Here are a few tips I have learned in my sourdough journey.

A bit of white flour is allowed in a loaf of bread. The bread will still be THM approved as an E. I choose to use King Arthur Bread Flour in my starter. This white flour will be fermented for 20+ hours until I bake the bread. That is reason I have chosen to use it in the starter. In the dough I use all whole grain white wheat flour.

I receive many questions about why I use vital wheat gluten . Here is the reason I add vital wheat gluten—whole grain flour is much harder to develop the gluten that is what causes dense solid loaves. Gluten is the structure that traps gases cause the loaf to rise. By adding vital wheat gluten you will have adequate gluten to trap the gases cause your loaves to rise the way they are supposed to.

Whole grain flour takes longer to absorb moisture than white flour. That makes it so easy to get your bread dough too stiff. If your bread dough seems stiff — every time you do a set of stretch and folds, dip your hands in water. This added moisture will help to loosen the dough.

This article explains what flours can be used and why they are used in on-plan sourdough bread.

This is what greeted my eyes when I lifted the lid of the baker. It’s just like opening a gift at Christmas. I found my clay baker at a thrift store for just a few dollars. I love it, but it has developed a crack with all my use.

If you would like helpful tips on taking care of your starter; this article may be of interest to you…Sourdough Starter.

This article explains what flours can be used and why they are used in sourdough bread. 

This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church. Below are a few of my favorites listed under the affiliate store I purchase them. I love the spatulas to mix my sourdough starter and no-knead bread dough..

I love my Princess House Fantasia Bowls with lids to use when making sourdough bread. Also, after using many kinds of knives, I am sold on the Princess House serrated bread knife. It is awesome!! My friend Kirsten is a great person to contact for Princess House. www.princesshouse.com/Kbrubaker

Amazon 

I am a member of Trim Healthy Mama Affiliate Program . Here is my link if you wish to purchase through it. I receive a few pennies but your price doesn’t change.

You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook and the hard cover spiral bound It’s all About Sourdough. All recipes are sugar-free and labeled with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link.  We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits, and more. Buy It Now. Follow my blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages.