Honey Whole Wheat Cranberry-Nut Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Cranberry-Nut Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
1 package (¼ ounce) or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature or melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour

Directions:
1½ to 2 cups bread flour
IN A LARGE BOWL, combine the warm water, yeast, dry milk, butter, salt, egg, and
honey and stir to blend well. Set aside until the mixture begins to foam, 10 minutes.
Stir in the cranberries and nuts (if using). Stir in the whole wheat flour. Gradually add
enough bread flour to make a stiff dough. You may not need to use it all.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Invert the bowl over the dough and let
rise for 15 minutes. During this time, the dough will come together and be easier to
handle.
With floured hands, knead the dough until the ingredients are well mixed and the dough
holds together in a smooth ball. Clean and lightly grease the bowl. Place the dough in
the bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1
hour.
Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise until
almost doubled in bulk, 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and
dry, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Variation:
BREAD MACHINE METHOD
THROW all the ingredients into the bread machine and set the machine to “dough,” but add the cranberries
last of all to prevent them from getting mashed into the dough and becoming unrecognizable. When ready, go
to the instructions in the main recipe for shaping and baking the dough.
soup
MAINE CORN CHOWDER
A TOUCH OF CUMIN WARMS THIS CLASSIC NEW ENGLAND SOUP, MADE HEARTY WITH THE
ADDITION OF POTATOES.
Makes 4 to 6 servings