Cranberry Wild Rice Bread

It was a year or two ago when I was first introduced to Cranberry Wild Rice Bread. My best friend and I had gone "up north" to do some shopping at an Amish market, and we stopped in the little town of Grey Eagle on our way back. There is a restaurant there called "The Double R Bar & Gril". If you are in the area and want some great food, this is the place.

I enjoyed a grilled chicken salad sandwich on cranberry wild rice bread, and it was absolutely delicious. I wasn't able to find the bread locally, so I searched for a recipe and started making my own.

This recipe is foolproof. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do if you decide to give it a try.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Start by mixing your warm water, honey and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle a packet of active dry yeast on top and stir. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.

In a separate large bowl combine both flours and salt. 

Add softened butter to the yeast mixture and combine.  

Add dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until the dough starts to form.  

Add the wild rice and cranberries to the dough. 

Knead for 8-10 minutes until dough becomes elastic and smooth.  If it seems too sticky, you can add more flour. 

Place dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with a wet towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. 

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release the air and shape into a loaf on a floured surface.

Place your loaf in a greased loaf pan and cover it with a damp tea towel. Let dough rise again for 30-45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Once dough has finished rising, bake for 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown.

Bread is done once it sounds hollow when you tap on it or when it reaches an internal temperature of 195° F.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Notes:

I used a stand mixer to knead the dough, but you could also knead by hand until dough is elastic and smooth.

If your bread is browning too quickly while baking, place aluminum foil over the top of it for the remaining time in the oven.

Freeze individual slices for easy meal prep on busy mornings!

I owe you an apology. I got busy with other things and forgot to take photos of the dough making process, but the instructions above are really easy to follow.