Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread

Although I don't do it often, I love making bread. I find it very therapeutic to incorporate all of that flour into a dough, then knead it until it is silky and elastic. It's amazing how even the raggediest ball of dough can come together into something quite wonderful.

It's been a while since I made bread, and in the interim, I acquired Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baking Apprentice. I did toy with joining the BBA Challenge, but then remembered how I sometimes find it a stretch to keep up with the two groups I am already in and decided to forge my own path as an occasional bread baker.

The first bread that I have chosen to make from The Bread Bakers Apprentice is the Cranberry Walnut Celebration Loaf. However, in my case, it should more accurately be called the Cranberry Apricot Raisin Almond Celebration Loaf. Also, I am not sure if "loaf" is the right word for the amoeba-shaped object at the top of this post. Methinks my braiding skills need some work; it would also help if I didn't decide that I absolutely had to go shopping for a dress that I had spied the day before at precisely the time when the dough's rising period was officially over.

Despite the odd shape, this bread was rather delicious. I battled to include all of the fruit and nuts recommended, but somehow managed to incorporate them, and for lovers of fruit bread, this loaf is a treat.

If you are keen to try this bread yourself, you can buy Peter's book (a little pricey but worth it!!), or the recipe for this particular loaf can be found online here.

Now for some pics. Here is the kneaded dough pre-fruit'n'nuts, just like an adorable bald baby's head and almost as kissable:

This is the dough after incorporation of a whopping quantity of fruit and nuts:

It is hot here in Brissie, so the dough rose a treat:

Here are my braids pre-baking (and up to this stage, my bread looks normal):

Umm ... and here is my bread after the yeast was allowed to party for an hour longer than the recipe said because of my urge to buy a dress (and a very lovely Cue dress it is):

And here is the loaf cut to show all the fruity and nutty goodness inside:

This produced a dense, fruity, nutty loaf that was good spread with butter, and would have been perfect toasted. I didn't like it just plain, but then again, I am not a bread eater, so if you love bread, you may have liked this plain.

Stay tuned for my next bread baking adventure!