This Cranberry Orange Loaf is the pick-me-up you need for those long winter days ahead. This bread is a beautiful swirl of tart cranberries and sweet oranges, held together with a fluffy and moist dough- is there anything more beautiful? I don’t think so either! Not only does it use seasonal ingredients, but it also makes a beautiful gift for your loved ones.
One of the best things about brioche is that it's so rich. Many bread recipes do not use eggs and milk but doing so creates an incredibly fluffy and rich tasting bread. This dough is fantastic on its own and serves as the perfect canvas for your favorite creative flavor combinations.
During the holiday season, you see a lot of pumpkin bread and cinnamon swirl loaf. While cinnamon spice is delightful, sometimes you need to switch things up with some brighter, bold flavors. And trust me, this bread is a delicious break from the norm.
This Cranberry Orange bread recipe is a party-worthy recipe. It combines two flavors that complement each other perfectly. The tartness of the fresh cranberries and the sweetness of the orange make this loaf such a treat. Whether you're enjoying it for breakfast or a snack, this loaf will surely be a new holiday favorite.
Why this recipe works
Easy to Follow- If you have never tried making brioche, let this be the recipe. I will break it down and teach you just how simple it is to make this tender bread. You will feel proud serving this beautiful loaf to your family and friends. The swirl is just so pretty. People are always impressed!
Seasonal flavor combination- Cranberry and orange are the ultimate fall/winter flavor combo. They are so good in this bread. I use my favorite Cranberry Orange sauce that was leftover to make this recipe. Feel free to use mine or leftovers from your own holiday gathering.
Budget-friendly- This recipe is primarily pantry-centric, meaning you probably have almost everything to make it at home already! Except for a few items, such as the fruit, you might be surprised to find that you can get started on the dough right away. This is a great recipe for gatherings, but also a nice treat for yourself on those cold days inside when the baking mood strikes.
Ingredients
- Milk- This creates a soft, tender dough. It also helps to create a golden brown crust. You can use your preferred milk for this recipe.
- Yeast- I used instant yeast, but you can also use active dry if you prefer. If you only have active dry yeast, check out this guide for how to adjust the recipe.
- Salt- It strengthens the gluten and also gives the loaf flavor.
- Eggs- Eggs add richness and color to the dough. They also have fat which adds moisture to the dough and helps prevent it from drying out.
- Brown Sugar- Brown sugar has a deep rich flavor from molasses. You can easily make your own if you don't have any brown sugar on hand. Simply mix 1 cup of white granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses until well combined, scaling to the size you need.
- All-purpose flour- I use a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour for this recipe. The all-purpose flour takes the grainy taste out of the recipe, which is great for those new to incorporating whole grains.
- Whole Wheat Flour- I used Kamut flour in this one, but you can also use white whole wheat, rye, spelt, etc. I like kamut for its nutty flavor and the extra protein and nutrients it adds to the bread.
- Butter- It would not be a brioche without a lot of butter! Butter adds flavor and creates air pockets that burst during baking, leaving you with incredibly fluffy bread.
- Granulated Sugar- This is mixed with orange zest to create a tasty pop of flavor inside of the swirls.
- Cranberry Sauce- I have an awesome cranberry orange sauce recipe. This bread is made from its leftovers. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make this recipe, so whichever you have on hand will work great!
- Orange- Fresh orange zest adds a ton of concentrated flavor and brightness, and balances the tart cranberries. For this recipe, it’s used in the orange sugar to create an extra layer of balancing flavor on top of the cranberry sauce. The orange juice will be used in the glaze that tops the bread with a hint of sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar- Also known as confectioners sugar, this will make a base for the sweet orange glaze.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Loaf
Make the dough
Start by adding your warm milk (you can heat it in a small saucepan or microwave. It is only heated to about 100 degrees), yeast, salt, eggs, brown sugar, and flour to the large bowl of a stand mixer.
It is not recommended to mix brioche by hand. Not only would you have to knead for a really long time, but your hands would warm the dough too much. You will want to use the dough hook for this recipe.
Mix for about 1 minute. Then, you will add the butter in 1 tablespoon increments to the flour mixture; butter is added slowly to the dough when making brioche. In fact, the process of adding the butter should take about 10-15 minutes.
So add a tablespoon, let it mix in, then add another. Do not rush this process. You should have a very smooth dough at the end of the mixing time.
The dough might feel too sticky to you, but don't worry; after the chill, it will be so much easier to work with!
Chill and the first rise
Once the butter is all added and mixed in, it is time to chill. Transfer the dough to a zip lock bag sprayed with pan release, or you can turn the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Make sure to give it room to rise. It will double in size. Next, place the dough in the refrigerator for a cool rise of about 12 hours.
Form the loaf
It is time to form the loaf! First, lightly flour your surface and roll it into a 16x20-inch rectangle.
Spread the rectangle with your cranberry sauce, then sprinkle with the orange sugar. Roll up the loaf just as you would a cinnamon roll. Pinch the ends to keep the loaf closed.
Cut a slit right down the middle, lengthwise. This is going to be messy, so don't freak out. Next, twist the 2 sides around each other to form the swirl. This part can be tricky, so be sure to use my photos and video as a reference.
Second rise
Place the dough in your prepared loaf pan. I like to use this 9x5 loaf pan because it's nonstick and sturdy. Cover and let the loaf double in size. When the rising is complete, brush with egg wash. The egg wash will give it a beautiful golden brown color while baking.
Bake
When the oven is preheated to 350 degrees, brush your bread with the egg wash, and place the loaf pan into the oven. If after a while it appears to be browning too quickly, I like to tent the bread with aluminum foil.
Once the loaf is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes in the pan. Using a thermometer to measure yeast bread is a great way to avoid over or under-baking. Once it has cooled for a few minutes, carefully remove the cranberry orange loaf from the pan.
Add Glaze
When you are ready, top it with the fresh orange juice glaze. You can do this step immediately or wait until right before you’re about to serve.
Tips
- Chill your dough before trying to work with it. If it is too soft to work with when you first make it, place it back into the fridge. This dough is so much easier to work with the next day when the gluten has had proper time to relax.
- After adding the cranberry sauce, this dough is going to be pretty messy to work with. It’s the nature of making delicious food, sometimes it gets a little messy! Just be sure you have an adequate workspace and don’t sweat the mess too much.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to tell you when the bread is done. Visual cues can be helpful, but to ensure the bread is perfectly baked, a thermometer really takes out the guesswork.
- Make your cranberry sauce a day before, if possible. Since the dough needs 12 hours in the fridge, you can prepare the sauce on the same day you make the dough. This will allow it proper cooling time and help marry the flavors even more.
FAQ
You sure don't! Feel free to leave it out or keep it in a separate bowl for only those who wish to enjoy some.
You can leave the orange sugar out if you want. However, it does add an excellent sweetness and emphasizes the orange flavor.
For this particular cranberry bread recipe, you'll need to use some kind of cooked cranberry sauce. This can be leftovers from a jar or making your own from fresh or frozen cranberries.
If wrapped in plastic, this bread will stay fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature. If you need to use it up quickly, it will work great in an overnight French toast casserole.
I am not sure about freezing the dough, so I cannot give a solid answer on this one. However, to freeze the already-made bread, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Then, place it into a freezer storage bag for 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw on the counter for a few hours as you would regular bread and enjoy!
Other Brioche Bread
Cranberry Orange Swirl Loaf
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 cup cranberry orange sauce
Orange Sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Read through all instructions before starting.
- Add all ingredients for the dough into your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Make sure and start with 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour. You can add more later if needed.
- Mix for about a minute. Then start adding the softened ½ cup butter in a tablespoon at a time. This will take a while to mix all the way, so don't rush the process. It should take 10-15 minutes all together.
- Once all the butter is added and it is mixed well, it is time to chill.
- I like to store mine in a sprayed ziplock bag. If you do it this way, make sure not to take all the air out of the bag, give it room to rise. If you don't want to use bags, you can grease a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover tightly with saran wrap.
- I like to let this have a cool rise for at least 12 hours.
- On baking day, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest to make the orange sugar. Set this aside. Then spray your pan with pan release or brush with melted or softened butter.
- When you are ready, remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough to 16x20 inches.
- Spread the cranberry sauce over the rectangle, leaving about 1 inch at the bottom to pinch to close the loaf.
- Then sprinkle the orange sugar over the cranberry sauce. Roll just like you would a cinnamon roll. Pinch the ends closed. Sorry, the video will probably do a better job of describing this.
- Then, slit down the middle lengthwise. Twist the 2 sides over each other to form the swirl. Tucking both ends under, then placing it in the loaf pan.
- Cover and let this rise until it is doubled. It will depend on the temp in your house as to how long this will take. Mine took a little over an hour.
- At the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. When the loaf is doubled, brush it with egg wash, and place it in the preheated oven.
- I like to cover my loaf with a tinfoil tent after about 40 minutes so it doesn't get too dark. I also like to check for doneness with a thermometer. I have found this the best way to know when the bread is perfectly baked.
- Bake the brioche to 190 degrees. Once it is up to temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for just a few minutes in the pan.
- Slide a knife around the edges, then carefully invert to remove the loaf. You can eat it right away while it is hot, but I really like to let it cool just slightly.
- Mix together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Depending on how thick you want the glaze, you might want to add in another tablespoon of orange juice.
- This bread is delicious like it is, slathered in butter, or even toasted and buttered. Yum!
- Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!
Notes
- Chill your dough before trying to work with it. If it is too soft to work with when you first make it, place it back into the fridge. This dough is so much easier to work with the next day when the gluten has had proper time to relax.
- After adding the cranberry sauce, this dough is going to be pretty messy to work with. It’s the nature of making delicious food, sometimes it gets a little messy! Just be sure you have an adequate workspace and don’t sweat the mess too much.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to tell you when the bread is done. Visual cues can be helpful, but to ensure the bread is perfectly baked, a thermometer really takes out the guesswork.
- Make your cranberry sauce a day before, if possible. Since the dough needs 12 hours in the fridge, you can prepare the sauce on the same day you make the dough. This will allow it proper cooling time and help marry the flavors even more.