This yeast-raised apple cranberry bread is so soft, tender and delicious. It’s slightly sweet, with a bit of crunchy pecans, pieces of dried cranberries and chopped apple throughout, and hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

angle view of apple cranberry bread sliced on a platter

You might visit a bakery or bread shop and think “there’s no way I can bake beautiful bread like this at home” (I’ve been there!), but you’d be wrong.

If you’ve baked a loaf of bread before, or made cinnamon rolls, then you can absolutely make this braided apple cranberry bread. I’ll walk you through each step, and I promise it’s a lot simpler than you think.

This bread is made with yeast, so it takes a little longer to make than a cake-like quick bread, but it is worth the extra wait. The yeast gives the bread a light and fluffy texture. It’s sweet, but not too sweet or dessert-y. The apple, cranberry and pecan mix-ins make for a perfectly delicious loaf for fall or winter baking.

Serve this apple cranberry bread as delicious snack, or side for breakfast and brunch, and even a good base for French toast and bread pudding.

Table of Contents

closeup of apple cranberry bread sliced on a platter

baking tip:What is an enriched yeast bread?

“Enriched yeast bread” or “enriched yeast dough” means that it includes added sweeteners and fats, such as butter, oil, eggs, honey and sugar. These breads are more soft, tender and sweeter than breads made with just flour, water, yeast and salt. Examples include brioche, babka, and challah breads.

This apple cranberry bread is another example of an enriched yeast bread. It’s very soft and flavorful, and so delicious!

Ingredients you’ll need

Let’s get bread baking, shall we?

How to make apple cranberry bread

  1. Make a wet dough. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add milk and heat for just a minute until warmed (no more than 130°F). In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine 2 cups of the bread flour with yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the warm milk and butter mixture, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir with a dough whisk or spatula to form a wet shaggy dough. 
  2. Add more flour to make a smooth dough. Begin working the dough, either by hand or with a mixer and dough hook, adding more flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is smooth, elastic and mostly clears the bowl. It should still feel very tacky to the touch. You’ll need about 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, though the exact amount will vary. Don’t add too much or your dough will be dense and dry. dough in bowl, rolled out on counter
  3. Let it rise. Shape the dough into a round, cover the bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until the dough has almost doubled in size.
  4. Roll out and add mix-ins. Gently punch down the dough and knead it a few times. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then roll out to a large rectangle about 8×14 inches. Top with chopped apples, dried cranberries and pecans. adding filling ingredients, rolled up into a log
  5. Shape into a braid or traditional loaf. Starting at one long end, tightly roll up the bread (don’t let the toppings get squished out as you roll!). Either tuck ends under and transfer to a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, or shape into a braid. Cut the roll of dough down the middle, exposing the inside. Set 2 strands into an “x” and then twist ends over each other from the center outward. Tuck ends under and place in loaf pan. shaping braided loaf
  6. Rise again and preheat oven. Cover the shaped loaf and let it rise more while you preheat the oven to 350°F. The bread is ready to bake when it looks slightly puffy (it won’t exactly double in size). shaped braided loaf ready for baking
  7. Bake. If you want a shiny golden crust (as shown in these photos), brush the dough with an egg wash before baking. Then, bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Test for doneness with a toothpick; if it’s clean then the bread is done.
  8. Cool and enjoy. Let the loaf finish setting up in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Tip: If you let the bread cool completely in the pan it creates condensation and actually makes the bottom a bit soggy. Once the bread is cool, slice and serve as desired. 
baked apple cranberry bread in loaf pan

Shaping options for this bread

As you can see in the step-by-step instructions above, there are a few options for shaping this bread. All of these options are great options depending on your desired finished product (and effort):

  • Traditional loaf. There’s no need to cut or braid this loaf if you want to keep things easy! Simply roll it up and tuck it into a pan. It won’t be as visually stunning, but it will still be beautiful and delicious.
  • Braided loaf in a loaf pan. Once the loaf is braided, place it in a loaf pan for baking. This bread will be taller and more loaf-like than if you bake it on a sheet pan.
  • Braided loaf on a sheet pan. You can also bake the braided loaf on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. It will spread more horizontally as it rises and bakes, making it wider and shorter.
apple cranberry bread sliced on a platter

Bread baking FAQs

What kind of yeast should I use?

Active-dry yeast or instant yeast  (also known as quick-rise or rapid-rise) will both work for this recipe. If you use instant yeast, you may only need about half of the rising time. Otherwise, results are the same. This recipe has not been tested with fresh yeast.

Don’t I need to soak yeast in warm water first?

I learned method for this recipe from Red Star Yeast, and I love that it saves a bit of time! If you are confident that your yeast hasn’t expired, you do not need to complete this step when making bread. Soaking yeast in water does hydrate it and speed activation along, however if you combine all dry ingredients with liquids heated to 120-130°F (which is much warmer than “warm water”) it accomplishes the same thing.

How do you knead bread by hand?

It’s more hands-on than using a stand mixer (obviously), but isn’t difficult! I like this tutorial on how to knead bread by hand.

Why didn’t my dough rise?

1) It could be that your yeast has expired. Check the expiration date on that packaging. If you don’t know, you can test the yeast. Add 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of yeast to a cup with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. If the mixture foams and increases in size, then your yeast is still good. If not, it has expired.

2) It’s possible you killed the yeast by if your melted butter and milk was too high of a temperature. Temperatures over 140°F will kill yeast, and it’s helpful to use a thermometer to make sure your liquids are between 120-130°F.

Why didn’t my bread rise/ why is my loaf so dense?

1) See solutions above in case it is an issue with your yeast.

2) Be sure to add only enough flour to achieve a firm but tacky dough. It should clear most of the sides of the bowl during kneading, and will feel very soft and tacky to the touch without actually coming off and sticking to your fingers. Adding too much flour will make a dense and dry loaf.

3) Give your dough enough time to rise in a warm place before baking. It should almost double in size each time.

How to store homemade bread

Bread should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Do not store bread in the fridge, as it actually makes it stale more quickly. A plastic bag, plastic wrap and even a bread box are all fine options.

How long does homemade bread last?

I prefer homemade bread within 1-2 days of baking for the freshest flavor and texture, however it will last 5-7 days if stored correctly (see above).

Get the recipe

This recipe was originally published December 2012 in partnership with Red Star Yeast. A few changes have been made to this recipe with the hope of simplifying things. Apples, cranberries, and pecans are chopped much smaller so they blend better into the bread. I also switched from using fresh cranberries to dried cranberries and I like

angle view of apple cranberry bread

Apple Cranberry Bread

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
This yeast-raised apple cranberry bread is so soft, tender and delicious. It’s slightly sweet, with a bit of crunch pecans, pieces of dried cranberries and chopped apple throughout, and hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

Ingredients
 

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope, 7 grams)
  • 2 ½-3 cups bread flour , as needed (300-360 grams)
  • ¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (53 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk , whole or 2% preferred (113 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 grams)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 apple , peeled and diced (about 125 grams)
  • ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries (28 grams)
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans (28 grams)
  • 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water , for egg wash (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add milk and heat for just a minute until warmed (an instant read thermometer should read 120-130°). Do not heat too much or mixture will be too hot and kill the yeast.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine 2 cups of the bread flour with yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the warm milk and butter mixture, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir with a dough whisk or spatula to form a wet shaggy dough. 
  • Begin working the dough, either by hand or with a mixer and dough hook on low speed, adding more flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is smooth, elastic and mostly clears the bowl. It should still feel very soft and tacky to the touch. You’ll need between 2 ½ to 3 cups flour, though the exact amount will vary. (Don’t add too much or your dough will be dense and dry. Always error on the side of adding too little; more can be added when you roll it out if it's too sticky.)
  • Shape the dough into a round, cover the bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until the dough has almost doubled in size.
  • Gently punch down the dough and knead it a few times. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then roll out to a large rectangle about 8×14 inches. Top with chopped apples, dried cranberries and pecans.
  • Starting at one long end, tightly roll up the bread (don’t let the toppings get squished out!). Either tuck ends under and transfer to a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan for a traditional loaf, or shape into a braid.
  • To shape into a braid (optional): Cut the roll of dough down the middle, exposing the inside. Set 2 strands into an “x” and then twist ends over each other from the center outward. Tuck ends under and place in loaf pan.
  • Cover the shaped loaf and let it rise more while you preheat the oven to 350°F, about 30 minutes. The bread is ready to bake when it looks slightly puffy (it won’t exactly double in size).
  • If you want a shiny golden crust (as shown in these photos), brush the dough with an egg wash before baking. Then, bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Test for doneness with a toothpick, if it’s clean then the bread is done.
  • Let the loaf finish setting up in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack. (If you let the bread cool completely in the pan it creates condensation and actually makes the bottom a bit soggy.) Once the bread is cool, slice and serve as desired. 
Calories: 209kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 14mg, Potassium: 104mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 126IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Snack
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.