Cranberry Nut Braid is a bread recipe for the bread machine that is the perfect balance of sweet, tart, soft and crisp. It’s full of beautiful flavor and is super easy to do!
I made the 2 lb version because I wanted two loaves. My family stood around and devoured their loaf all at once. I would say that is a tasty recipe. It’s the perfect seasonal recipe since many of us in Maine buy cranberries directly from the farmer to store in our freezers for winter. If you aren’t as lucky, winter is when cranberries are available in the store and they freeze right in the bag, perfectly.
Cranberry Nut Braid
~makes two loaves
The Dough
- 3/4 Cup milk
- 1/3 Cup water
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 4 cups flour
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
The Filling
- 1 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 Cup fresh(frozen) cranberries, chopped
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Orange Glaze
- 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
- 3 tsp orange juice
Directions
- Combine first eight ingredients into a 2 lb bread machine. Use the dough cycle.
- After the dough is complete, remove and let rest, covered for 10 minutes
- Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 12X8 rectangle
- Brush each rectangle with melted butter
- Sprinkle cranberry nut filling evenly on each rectangle
- From the long edge, roll each dough into a log, pinching ends to seal
- Cut each log in half and gently weave two sides together, keeping filling side up. Press ends together as needed to keep shape.
- Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size
- Bake 375 for 25 minutes, covering the last 10 minutes to avoid over browning.
- Cool on wire rack before drizzling with Orange Glaze.
