Thanksgiving Cranberry Corn Bread
It will soon be American Thanksgiving, so I thought I’d re-post our Thanksgiving Cranberry Corn bread. It’s based on the Portuguese Broa style (page 151 in the book)—it’s the regular Master Recipe, but with 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour taken out and replaced with an equal amount of cornmeal.
Here’s what you need to do. Take about 2 pounds of the Broa dough mentioned above and shape it into a ball; then flatten it with your hands and a rolling pin until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with 1/3 of a cup of dried cranberries (or 1/2 cup fresh):
Now break out your microzester, and use it to scrape the zest from half an orange…
… now sprinkle that over the cranberries, and then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar over that…
Now roll it up like a jelly roll… If it sticks to the board as you’re rolling, nudge it off with a dough scraper.
Tuck the ends under to form a ball, flatten it on a work surface, and then, using your hands and a rolling pin, make a disk the right size for a 12-inch cast iron pan. It should be about an inch or inch and a half thick. If you don’t have a cast-iron pan, see below.** This instruction applies to this flattened thanksgiving bread only; you can make loaf breads this way too (freeform or in a pan).
Grease the pan well with butter, lard, bacon grease, or oil (I used olive oil today), and place the dough round in it.
Allow to rest for at least 1 hour and 20 minutes. You’ll get a more open hole structure if you wait two hours.
Put a broiler tray in the oven to dump water to make steam. 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F if you keep a baking stone in the oven. If you don’ t use a stone, a 5-minute pre-heat is adequate (the stone isn’t required since you’ll bake in the cast-iron).
Just before baking, heat the cast-iron pan over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes to jump-start the baking process and promote caramelization of the bottom crust. Don’t overdo it–no more than 2 minutes. It will start to sizzle.
Place the pan on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Depending on the thickness of your loaf and the weight of the pan, baking time will be about 25 minutes.
Carefully turn the hot loaf out of the pan onto a serving plate or cooling rack, or just cut wedges directly out of the pan once it cools. Be careful with the hot cast-iron pan!
You should get a result just like the cover photo. Happy Thanksgiving! Other Thanksgiving recipes:
Stuffing from homemade bread: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1228
Thanksgiving buns: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=443
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Brioche: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1209
Roasting Your Own Pumpkins: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=50
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** This bread can be done as a simple free-form loaf right on a baking stone, cookie sheet, or silicone mat (about the same baking time, or in a loaf pan (longer baking time needed). Either way, it’s done at 425 degrees.
I never thought I could make bread…too hard…too time consuming! Until a friend gave me the basic recipe. Turns out, I CAN! GOTTA HAVE THIS BOOK! The dough bucket would be great and I’ll probably have to buy both if I don’t win 🙂
going to have to try this, i’ve been looking for a unique cornbread recipe
wonder how this will do with the gluten free four? i plan on making it when my g/f flour arrives…
I’m so glad I discovered KAF! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and especially for posting the “how it’s done” pictures! Thank you, too, for offering such neat prize packages.
I have just been introduced to this method of baking bread at a local club meeting. I have decided to get the books and supplies for my family members for Christmas. Thanks from everyone.
I recently purchased a copy of “Health Bread…”, and I’m exited to make my first loaf. King Arthur flour would make the first loaf even better 🙂
Well, this just looks fantastic! Can’t wait to try it!
Gotta try that one! Would love the gift, too!
I love this bread recipe – and I love King Arthur Flour. Currently unemployed – would love to win !!!
Sounds wonderful – like many KAF recipes!
I shall try this bread, looks great!
A friend just recommended this site to me – I can’t wait to get my hands on some dough! Thanks for the great recipe.
This bread looks great! Do you think it would work if I used the whole grain master recipe (with the cornmeal subbed in) instead of the original?
I just got the cranberry corn bread. Yum!! I love cranberries. I’ve been eying the hook since you were in Portland, OR doing the demos. Pick me, Pick me. 🙂
That cranberry cornbread looks fantastic. We’ll definitely have to try it for the holidays.
The bread looks delicious! Just made the Sun dried tomato loaf from ABin5 and it was a big hit.
I lent my ABin5 to a friend! I definitely need another copy 🙂
Oh, I just love cornbread, yeasted or traditional. I never get tired of it. I’ll have to give this one a go.
Also, I’m in the middle of a batch of the whole wheat banana bread from HB in 5 and it is spectacular. Thanks.
I am seeing this website for the 1st time and I am amazed of how you make bread. I also make bread but not often. This seems to be alot easier! Tks.
Looks so yummy. This is what I need in my life right now =)
Oh! I would so love this!
I just started making bread….This looks delicious and I can’t wait to branch out from the Master Recipe 🙂
great giveaway! thank you!
Love the giveaways. I am hoping to try some recipes over the holidays. Thanks again for you efforts with both the books and the blogs.
I just discovered this site and book. Would love to win some tools! Love this idea!
This is awesome. Im gonna make bread from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day this weekend. Love KAF and ABin5.
Oh, that looks good. And I’d love to win this setup!
Thanks for the recipes, I love your blog and my HBin5 book.
This sounds great! I have to try it!
I’ve been using KAF whole wheat flour for many years. I’d love to be entered in the giveaway.
I loved the first book. How great would it be to get the secound book plus all the extra goodies that go with it. thanks for offering the contest. My fingers are crossed!
I’d so love to win this! I’ve just found out about Artisan Bread in Five minutes a day!
This bread sounds wonderful. Will bake it today. Thanks.
That recipe looks fantastic! I just borrowed my friend’s copy of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and tried out the master recipe. The bread tasted great. I’d love to have my own copy :-).
KAF and AB in 5 are both great! Always new ideas and delcious prducts. Thanks!!
Orange & Cranberries – a fav! What will the fam think of this on Tbird day?
Great starter kit. Have both books but have not tried yet.
Can’t wait to try this!! Yummy!
Sounds great! I know what I will be doing today!
Looks yummy and I am a big King Arthur fan.
Great blog. Hoping to try out your recipes soon. Thanks.
I will be making this bread this weekend. It looks delicious! It would be great to win the KA F giveaway!
Just found this site and am enjoying it immensely. I have been baking fougasse, tinkering with my recipe to get a good variety of flavors and textures (whole wheat, rosemary/garlic, pumpkin seed & sage, olive/walnut, etc). Thanks for the awesome infos!
Can anyone recommend a good home gas range brand and model that can take the high heat requirements of frequent artisanal breadbaking.?
I would love to try this bro for the holidays, but right now my oven is kaput. This morning, as I was baking a loaf of the Deli Rye, my gas range started beeping with ab errir messge that the temperature sensor was not working. It was up to 600 degrees. Turning it off and letting it rest did no good. I had this same problem last spring and replaced the control and sensor to the tune of $400 for the parts and service call. It doesn’t make sense to keep repairing a 10-year old stove that originally cost $500. So I’m looking for a gas range that can take the high temps with an affordable price, which for me is around $1,000. Does anyone have a recommendation? I can’t go the high end route. Thanks!
Lois in Minneapolis
Lois: first off, it may be hard to follow a thread in this conversation-
I have a 1994 Jenn-Air, which works nicely at high temp– no idea if the current Jenn-Air’s do likewise well. They’ve been taken over and are part of a much larger company now. I think my breads come out so well because the oven is small– reflects the heat better, or something like that. It’s small because Jenn-Air’s downdraft system in the 90s took up a lot of space (not sure they still do it that way).
Jenn-Air is mid-market– nowhere near as expensive as Vulcan, Wolf, or Thermidor, but definitely higher-cost than the $500 range you’re replacing. I feel like my Jenn-Air was a little higher than what you’re putting out as your upper limit when I put it in, so check it out. And see what people think of their exhaust and ignition systems.
My convection fan is a little prone to rusting out and needing replacement, but not surprised about that.
I love the idea of making the bread in a cast iron pan. I love mine! I also only use King Arthur Flour! It is the best for discerning bakers out there: ) Will definitely try this recipe, and I hope I win! I need some gifts to give my kitchen who makes all those delicious treats possible, lol : )
yum yum! thanksgiving will be complete with this one!
oh yeah! this looks great!
thx
I’ll be giving this recipe a try very soon! Looks great!
Can’t wait to make the Cranberry Corn Bread!!
Awesome!! Can’t wait to try it!!
I grew up in a home that always had the wonderful smell of Fresh Baked Bread…Since My Daddy died ( he was the bread maker), I have been wanting to pick up this family tradition…especially during the Holiday season. I’ve been intimidated about the whole daunting proces….but I’m now excited and grateful to Jeff and Zoe for creating Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day….I now feel confident to be the bread maker for my family!