A delicious bread I have made for years at Thanksgiving and Christmas time
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 egg well beaten
- 2 tablespoons oil or melted shortening
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen halved (if frozen, do not thaw before halving)
- Carbohydrate 26.2313315553228 g
- Cholesterol 16.2683333333333 mg
- Fat 18.2759106854888 g
- Fiber 0.916120029779499 g
- Protein 2.54156377995316 g
- Saturated Fat 4.64030993453132 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Slice (78g)
- Sodium 1808.02817595214 mg
- Sugar 25.3152115255433 g
- Trans Fat 1.22283746773178 g
- Calories 264 calories
Step-by-step
- Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl.
- Combine orange rind, orange juice, water, egg and oil in another bowl.
- Add liquid all at once to dry ingredients. Stir just until thoroughly moistened.
- Stir in cranberries and nuts. Turn into a well greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan.
- Bake at 350(F) degrees about 1 hour or until bread tests done (test with a toothpick or cake tester in the center. It should come out clean.)
- Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife blade around the edges, and turn pan over onto a cooling rack. The bread should come out nicely, and turn it right side up so it will cool.
- When totally cool, wrap in aluminum foil.
The Heavy Lifter
Fresh cranberries drive this entire loaf by supplying sharp acidity to balance heavy sugar levels. Halving the berries beforehand distributes their moisture evenly throughout the crumb rather than creating dense pockets of fruit. Keep frozen cranberries completely solid when cutting them to prevent mushy discoloration in the batter.Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Overmixing stands as the primary reason quick breads turn out tough and rubbery. Stir wet and dry components only until flour streaks disappear, leaving a lumpy batter behind. Folding nuts and fruit at the very end prevents excess gluten development from heavy utensil action. Bake the loaf at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until a wooden tester inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the baked loaf inside the pan for exactly ten minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to prevent structural collapse.Substitution Mechanics
Oils and melted shortenings are functionally interchangeable by weight, but swapping butter introduces water content that changes the final tender crumb structure. Water can replace fruit juice entirely, though losing citrus acidity requires adding a pinch of cream of tartar to maintain the chemical reaction with baking soda. Wrapping the fully cooled loaf tightly in foil preserves moisture distribution overnight before slicing.
