Cranberry Orange Bread

Ingredients:

Streusel

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

Bread

• 1 cup whole dried organic cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (soft)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. If using toasted pecans, place the ½ cup of pecans in a small pan. Slowly cook on medium to low heat until browned and fragrant, chop and set aside.
3. Make your streusel. In a small bowl add flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix together with your hands until well incorporated and the mixture starts to clump together. Add pecans and set aside.
4. Make your bread. If cranberries are older and dried up, soak them in orange juice for 8 minutes until plump. Remove the cranberries from the juice and pat dry (reserve the juice for the recipe).
5. In a small bowl add the sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant and well incorporated. This will give a strong orange flavour throughout your bread.
6. In a large bowl add orange sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, orange juice and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside.
7. In a separate bowl add all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine.
8. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in two additions, gently mixing the batter together. Add the cranberries and toasted pecans and mix just until combined (you don't want to overmix the batter).
9. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Top with the crumble and bake for approx. 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a further 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTES Store bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Variations

1. Orange Glaze for Extra Sweetness: For a sweet version, drizzle an orange glaze on top of the bread. To make the glaze, combine 1 cup icing sugar with 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice until you reach the desired consistency, then drizzle over the cooled bread.
2. All-Purpose Flour Only: If you prefer a lighter texture, omit the whole-wheat flour and use only all-purpose flour.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf

Thank you Alie Romano for the recipe. Discover expert tips and techniques for Cranberry Orange Bread at Baking For Friends.