Cranberry Orange Swirl Bread

This recipe uses Midtown Mix Bread Mix One, be sure to check out the other recipes that use this base as well!

A perfect blend of winter flavors, great as a midday treat toasted with a touch of butter

You provide:

Supplies & Equipment:

• Stand mixer fitted with dough paddle (not hook)

• Loaf Pan 8.5” x 4.5” or 9” x 5”

• Parchment paper or plastic wrap

Ingredients:

For Bread:

• 1 3/4 cups 110°F degree water, slightly warmer than a hot tub

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, melted but cool

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

For Filling:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

• Zest of 1 orange

• 1/2 cup walnuts (or other nuts), briefly toasted if possible (optional)

Preparation:

This dough will need a 60 minute rising step before baking at 350°F

Step 1:

Whisk together water, eggs, butter/oil, and maple syrup.

Step 2:

Add Midtown Mix Bread Mix One to stand mixer and start mixer at low speed. Add liquid ingredients slowly and mix for about a minute before scraping down bowl and mixing at medium speed for about 5 minutes.

Combine liquid ingredients and stream into dry mix with mixer on low speed . Once combined, turn mixer to medium speed and mix for 5 minutes to aerate dough.

Step 3:

Transfer dough onto greased sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and press flat under another sheet of greased parchment or plastic wrap, around the size of a cookie sheet, but the exact size doesn’t matter too much.

Spread dough between 2 sheets of greased parchment or plastic wrap to make a large rectangle

Step 4:

Mix together filling ingredients and press into the dough sheet, making sure to get filling all the way to the edges. Zest the orange directly onto the dough, trying to spread it as evenly as possible. You can use as much (or as little) orange as desired, but we recommend about 3/4 of a medium to large orange’s rind.

After spreading filling onto dough, grate the rind of a medium orange onto the dough.

Step 5:

Starting from one of the shorter ends, start to roll the dough tightly, at or near the halfway mark, start to roll the other end to the center and fold together. There is no wrong way to do do this and if it splits or breaks, that’s okay. Lift the rolled dough into an oiled loaf pan and press into the edges - it doesn’t matter if the dough roll gets folded, curled, crushed or otherwise.

Tightly roll up dough from the short edges. Transfer to oiled loaf pan and let rise for 1 hour.

Step 6:

Let dough rise in pan for 60 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F with baking rack at middle level. Once risen, bake loaf for 90 minutes until medium brown and hollow sounding when tapped rotating loaf after 45 minutes. Take out of pan as soon as it’s cool enough to handle and let cool on wire rack for at least 30 minutes to let it finish baking.

Tips and Ideas:

Slice only when ready to eat, one slice at a time to keep bread moist and soft. This recipe tastes even better toasted and served with butter

Bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days if well wrapped to contain moisture.