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.
Looks great! And it’d be wonderful to win something! 🙂
I’m ambig fan of KAF and your books! Would love win this one!
Here’s hoping for a win! The cranberry corn bread looks delicious. 🙂
I would love the artisan bread cook book. I own the healthy bread one and we have made two of the recipes at the HS I teach at with my students. They are so proud of themselves and so am I. This is a great method for busy people. I want to try the pumpkin brioche over the holidays.
Thanks for entering me in the contest. And thank you for the recipe. We love corn bread and this seems just perfect for Thanksgiving. Being 8 months pregnant, this is a perfect easy recipe to bring to the In-Laws.
lovin lovin lovin this bread in the oven!!!!! thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!! enter me please!
Looking forward to attempting one of these recipes.
What a giveaway this is! I would be so excited to get all this!
The cranberry bread looks yummy!
Yummy recipie I can’t wait to try it!
I love this bread and the King Arthur flour always makes it turn out perfect.
ooh, what a great giveaway!
I have just started baking bread using this method and am really excited about it. Thanks for having this contest, someone will be very happy!
I’ve had the ABin5 books out from the library multiple times, I’d love to own my own copy! 🙂
Looking forward to trying these breads! Just mixed up this week’s Master Recipe.
I made the corn bread last year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. The King Arthur kit would be wonderful. Too bad they’re only giving one away. I’ll have to put everything on my x-mas list (except for the book of course). Thanks,
Would love a copy of the artisan bread in 5 minutes for both my daughter who’s being trained in our kitchen to one day become a keeper of her home! The cranberry cornbread looks easy for Thanksgiving picnic!
I love your books. Especially the gluten free recipes
I’ve been a big fan of your book and would love to have my own copy. I’ve been telling everyone how much I love the bread because it’s easy to make and tastes so good.
Wow looks so delicious, and I can’t imagine a better combo than KAF and ABin5 – a winner in every direction!!
this bread sounds like a winner; am going to have to try it!
Please enter me in the giveaway!
That looks delicious!
absolutely loving your work! thank you for taking the intimidation factor out of bread making.
This recipe looks so yummy. After that horrible heat of the summer (yes, I know summer’s been over for a while, but I’m a slow starter), I’m ready to get back to turning on the oven and baking bread.
If I should be so fortunate as to win this contest, I wouldn’t mind because it wouldn’t hurt me to upgrade from old ice cream buckets for my dough and every time I eyeball the dough whisk on Amazon, they’re out of stock. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Love King Arthur – I already have the book, but that’s OK, if I win I’ll give the new one to my sister for Christmas! Very interesting bread, too – I’d missed the broa dough, I’ll have to investigate that. Thanks!
Looks delicious!
Oh, oh pick me, pick me…please !
Love ABin5 and KAF is the #1 flour I buy unless I’m grinding it myself.
Awesome…love king arthur flour!!
Yay!
Wow…that looks fantastic!
KAF & ABin5…..what a great pairing!!
Pick me! Pick me!
I love your books and make a batch of bread using your method just about every week . The giveaway package would make a great gift to one of my daughters!
LOVE your bread recipes. My family loves the bread I’ve made! I hope I win.
The dough bucket has been on my wish list forever. What a great giveaway.
The cranberry cornbread looks delish.
I’m a big King Arthur fan – their products are the best! The recipe looks interesting. I look forward to giving it try!
awesome prize! I love AB and KAF!
Love ABIn5 and love King Arthur Flour !!
Go King Arthur!
Oooh! I would love, love, love to win this!
What a delicious bread and a great contest!
I need a cast iron skillet so bad!
That looks and sounds like a delish addition to the holiday spread! 🙂
What a great contest! I would love to win, so pick me! pick me!
I can’t wait to try the cranberries and cornbread!
I have been noodling over getting one of the King Arthur Flour dough whisk…oooh! I hope I win! I haven’t tried the Broa dough–this recipe sounds like a good reason to! I don’t have a cast-iron skillet, but did invest in the cast-iron pizza pan. Sounds like a great addition to the items I’m bringing to Thanksgiving dinner!
My 11 year old daughter makes all our bread using King Arthur Flour and 5 Min a Day recipes.
Ooo that’s some sweet loot!
Thanks for another great recipe!
This will be the perfect recipe to try with my kids and our annual cranberry reading!
I didn’t think you could make corn bread better! This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!!!
Also, totally want the Danish Dough Wisk!