Cranberry Orange Bread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9x5-inch loaf pan
• •Microplane or fine grater for zesting
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Large rubber spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your pan and oven

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 350°F. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan generously, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Alternatively, line the bottom and long sides with a parchment sling, leaving overhang for easy removal. The extra minute spent here saves you from the heartbreak of a stuck loaf.

   A light-colored metal pan produces the most even browning. Dark pans absorb more heat and can over-brown the crust before the center finishes.
2. 2

   Combine dry ingredients with zest

   Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the orange zest and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips for about thirty seconds. This releases the oils trapped in the zest, perfuming the entire mixture. When you lift your fingers to your nose, you should smell nothing but bright citrus. The sugar will turn slightly damp and fragrant.

3. 3

   Mix wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, orange juice, egg, and vanilla until completely smooth. The butter may form small clumps when it hits the cold juice. Whisk vigorously until they dissolve. The mixture should look uniform and slightly frothy.

4. 4

   Fold wet into dry

   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, fold gently but deliberately, scraping the bottom of the bowl and turning the mixture over itself. Stop the moment you no longer see dry flour. The batter will look lumpy and slightly rough. This is correct. Overmixing develops gluten and turns your tender quick bread into something resembling a brick.

   Count your folds if you're prone to overworking batter. Fifteen to twenty strokes should do it. Those lumps are friends, not problems.
5. 5

   Fold in cranberries and nuts

   Scatter the chopped cranberries and walnuts (if using) over the batter. Fold them in gently with three or four strokes, distributing them evenly throughout. Some berries will inevitably sink during baking. This is the nature of fruit in batter. The ones that stay suspended will burst and stain the surrounding crumb a beautiful rose pink.

6. 6

   Fill pan and create the signature crack

   Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly, pushing it slightly into the corners. The surface should be level. If you want that characteristic split down the center that marks a proper quick bread, dip a butter knife in melted butter and draw a shallow line lengthwise down the center. This creates a weak point where the bread will split as it rises.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even color. The loaf is done when the top is deeply golden, the crack has opened to reveal the interior, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. A completely clean skewer means you've gone too far. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final fifteen minutes.

   Trust the skewer, not the timer. Every oven runs differently, and altitude affects baking time. The visual and tactile cues tell the truth.
8. 8

   Cool the loaf properly

   Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for fifteen minutes. The structure needs time to set. Run a thin knife around the edges to release any spots that clung, then turn the loaf out onto the rack. If you used a parchment sling, simply lift. Set the loaf upright and cool completely, at least one hour, before glazing. Patience. The crumb is still setting. Slicing too early compresses the texture.

9. 9

   Make the glaze

   Whisk together the powdered sugar with two tablespoons of orange juice until smooth. The consistency should be thick but pourable, like heavy cream. Add the remaining tablespoon of juice only if needed to reach this consistency. Too thin and the glaze runs off. Too thick and it sits in an ungainly lump.

10. 10

    Glaze and serve

    Set the cooling rack over a sheet pan to catch drips. Drizzle the glaze slowly over the loaf in long, lazy ribbons, letting it cascade down the sides. Allow the glaze to set for at least fifteen minutes before slicing. The first slice is always the baker's privilege, but this bread improves if you can wait until the next day.

Chef Tips

• •Zest your oranges before juicing them. Once you've cut an orange in half, zesting becomes a frustrating exercise in futility. A Microplane produces the finest zest with no bitter pith.
• •Fresh cranberries freeze beautifully, so stock up when they appear in fall. Use them frozen when chopping; they shatter into clean pieces rather than crushing. No need to thaw before adding to batter.
• •This bread is better the next day. The crumb tightens, the flavors meld, and the glaze develops that signature crackle. Wrap tightly in plastic once completely cooled.
• •For gift giving, skip the glaze initially. Transport the cooled, wrapped loaf, then mix the glaze in a small jar. Include it with instructions to drizzle before serving. Fresh glaze always looks more impressive.

Advance Preparation

• •The dry ingredients can be whisked together (without the zest) and stored in an airtight container up to one week ahead. Add zest fresh the day you bake.
• •The finished loaf, unglazed and tightly wrapped, keeps at room temperature for 4 days or freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. Glaze after thawing.
• •For holiday mornings, bake the bread up to three days ahead. Store wrapped at room temperature and glaze fresh the morning you serve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)