My cottage bakery base dough with fresh pecans and dried cranberries folded in! A brekky staple for many families in my community.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!If you’ve baked my Original Cottage Bakery Sourdough, you already know this dough. It’s the base recipe I use for nearly every sourdough loaf at the bakery. This version adds fresh pecans and dried cranberries, and it has become my favorite breakfast bread. I toast a slice with butter and a sprinkle of salt, and the cranberries get all jammy while the pecans stay crunchy. So good!
If you’re brand new to sourdough, grab my free beginner’s ebook first so you have a happy, active starter ready to go. It walks you through creating a starter, starter care, baking rhythms, and everything I had to learn the hard way.
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Quick Note Before We Begin
This is one of the inclusion breads I mention in the original recipe post, and it might be my favorite of them all. My customers literally beg me to put this one on the menu so they can stash loaves in their freezer and keep a continuous supply going. The base dough stays exactly the same, a touch of whole wheat (I love spelt) for more depth of flavor, plenty of hydration, and a long, slow fermentation. The only new skill here is folding the inclusions in without tearing the dough, and I’ll walk you through it step by step.
One note on the pecans: I use fresh pecans, so I just fold them straight in the dough without toasting. We’re spoiled for good pecans here in Oklahoma and they carry plenty of flavor on their own. If yours have been sitting in the pantry a while, there’s a quick fix for that in the recipe notes below.
What You’ll Need
Gear I Use:
- Kitchen scale (accurate and budget-friendly)
- Dutch oven (mine’s 5 quarts and has held up beautifully)
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife or lame
- Mixing bowl
- Dampened tea towel
- Proofing basket or just a mixing bowl with a curved bottom
I keep my favorite tools and pantry staples in this storefront if you want to peek!
Ingredients
Dough
- 50g bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 365g warm filtered water
- 450g bread flour
- 50g whole wheat flour (I use spelt)
- 10g fine sea salt
Inclusions
- 75g pecans, roughly chopped
- 90g dried cranberries
Step-by-Step Method
Feed Your Starter
In the morning, discard most of your starter and feed what’s left with equal parts flour and water (I do 50g of each). Let it sit until it’s doubled in size and nice and bubbly. If it’s ready before you are, pop it in the fridge.
Mix the Dough (Evening)
Stir together your starter and water until it looks milky. Add both flours and the salt. Mix until everything is fully combined and no dry flour remains. Really make sure there’s nothing dry hiding at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will feel sticky, but that’s exactly right. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes. While it rests, feed your starter.
Add the Cranberries & Pecans (First Stretch & Fold)
After the dough has rested, sprinkle about a third of the cranberries and pecans over the top. Wet your hands, gently lift one side of the dough up and fold it over to tuck them in. Add another third and fold again, then the last third and keep folding, rotating the bowl as you go, until you’ve made it all the way around. Everything gets tucked through the dough without tearing it. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Second & Third Stretch & Folds
Two more rounds of folds, about 30 minutes apart. These strengthen the dough and finish spreading the inclusions evenly through it. The dough will feel a little lumpy and bumpy now, that’s exactly what you want. After the third round, cover the bowl and move into bulk fermentation.
Bulk Ferment
If prepping in the evening, let the dough rise overnight, covered at room temperature, until it’s soft, airy, lighter to the touch, and no longer sticky. It will also have a domed top. At 70°F, this usually takes 8 to 10 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Prefer a daytime schedule? This works just as well flipped. Mix the dough in the morning, do your folds before lunch, and let it bulk through the day. Shape in the evening, then either bake that night or pop it in the fridge and bake the next morning. One heads up: kitchens usually run warmer during the day, so bulk can finish faster, sometimes closer to 6 to 8 hours. Watch the dough, not the clock! 🙂
Pre-Shape (Morning)
Gently coax the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it in toward the center a few times to create a round, then flip it over and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered, so the gluten can relax. In the meantime, line your proofing basket or a mixing bowl with a towel and dust it with flour.
Final Shaping
Flip the dough so the seam faces up. Take two opposite sides, lift and clasp them over each other in the center, then rotate the dough 90° and clasp the other two sides the same way (this technique is called the Caddy Clasp).
Before the dough goes into the basket, tuck any cranberries sitting on the surface back inside. Exposed cranberries will scorch in the oven, so it’s worth taking a few seconds to poke them in or pick the off. Then place the dough seam-side up into your floured proofing basket.
Second Rise
Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, or transfer it to the fridge for a cold proof. I usually choose the fridge… the dough is easier to score when cold, and you can bake anytime within the next 2 days, straight from the fridge.
Score & Bake
Preheat your oven to 450°F with your Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes. Cut a piece of parchment to fit and gently invert the dough onto it. Dust the top with flour and score with a bread lame or sharp knife, then use the parchment like a sling to lower the dough into the Dutch oven.
Bake:
- 20 minutes covered
- 25 to 30 minutes uncovered, until the crust is deeply golden
Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for at least an hour before slicing. I know it’s hard to wait, but it’s worth it!
Serving, Storing & Making Ahead
This is a breakfast bread first. Toast a slice, spread it with butter, and finish with a sprinkle of salt. That’s how I eat it almost every time. It’s also lovely on a cheese board with brie or sharp cheddar, and it makes a really good turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.
Now, my best tip for this loaf: the day after it’s baked, slice the whole thing and freeze the slices in a ziplock bag. The crumb is fully set by then so it slices cleanly, and you can toast straight from frozen whenever you want. This is exactly what my customers do. They stash loaves in the freezer so they always have breakfast slices on hand.
If you’re eating it fresh, store the cooled loaf cut-side down on a cutting board for the first day or two, or in a bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. And to make ahead, lean on the cold proof. The shaped dough holds beautifully in the fridge for up to 2 days, so you can shape the night before and bake while the coffee brews.
That’s It!
If you bake this one, I’d love to see it! Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thesarahgrunewald.
And if you haven’t already, you can grab my free ebook Sourdough for Beginners. It’s full of helpful tips and timelines to make your next loaf even easier.
Happy baking!
Sarah Grunewald
Cranberry Pecan Sourdough Recipe
Equipment
- 1 proofing basket (banneton) or towel-lined bowl
Ingredients
Dough
- 50 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 365 grams warm filtered water
- 450 grams bread flour
- 50 grams whole wheat flour (I use spelt)
- 10 grams fine sea salt
Inclusions
- 75 grams pecans, roughly chopped see notes
- 90 grams dried cranberries, roughly chopped see notes
Instructions
- Mix the Dough. Stir together your starter and water until it looks milky. Add both flours and the salt. Mix until everything is fully combined and no dry flour remains. Really make sure there's nothing dry hiding at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will feel sticky, but that's exactly right. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. While it rests, feed your starter.
- First Stretch + Fold (Add Inclusions). Sprinkle a third of the cranberries and pecans over the dough. Dampen your hands, lift one side of the dough up and fold it over to tuck them in. Repeat twice more with the remaining inclusions, folding and rotating the bowl between each addition, until you've gone all the way around and everything is evenly distributed. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Second + Third Stretch + Folds. Do two more rounds of folds, about 30 minutes apart, to strengthen the dough and finish distributing the inclusions. After the third round, cover the dough and move into bulk fermentation.
- Bulk Ferment. Let the dough rise, covered at room temperature, until it's soft, airy, lighter to the touch, and no longer sticky. It will also have a domed top. At 70°F, this takes about 8 to 10 hours. I usually mix in the evening and let it rise overnight, but you can mix in the morning and let it rise through the day instead, if that works better for your schedule (see notes).
- Pre-shape. Once bulk fermentation is done, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it in toward the center a few times to create a round, then flip it over so it is seam side down, and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered, so the gluten can relax.* Alternatively, you can use the 'candy cane' method of preshaping (video shown). This is much faster especially when bulk baking! But, just use whichever method seems most natural to you.
- Final Shape. Flip the dough so the seam faces up. Take two opposite sides, lift and clasp them over each other in the center, then rotate the dough 90° and clasp the other two sides the same way (the Caddy Clasp). Tuck any exposed cranberries back into the dough, then place seam-side up into a floured proofing basket or floured towel-lined bowl.
- Second Rise. Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, or transfer to the fridge for a cold proof. I usually choose the fridge, the dough is easier to score when cold and you can bake anytime within the next 2 days, straight from the fridge.
- Bake. Preheat your oven to 450°F with your Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes. Flip the dough out of the basket onto a piece of parchment, score with a bread lame or sharp knife, and use the parchment as a sling to lower it into the Dutch oven. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then 25 to 30 minutes uncovered, until the crust is deeply golden. Cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slice and freeze for easy breakfasts. A day after baking, slice the loaf and freeze the slices in a ziplock bag. The crumb is fully set by then so it slices cleanly, and you can toast straight from frozen.
- Tuck in exposed cranberries. Any cranberries sitting on the surface of the dough will scorch in the oven. Poke them back inside during shaping for a clean, golden crust.
- Toasting the pecans? I use fresh pecans straight in. If yours have been in the pantry a while, a quick 5 minute toast at 350°F will wake the flavor back up, just let them cool completely before adding.
- Soaking the cranberries is optional. If your dried cranberries are very firm, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well before adding. Skip this if they’re already soft and plump. I’ve heard of bakers soaking theirs in orange juice for a cranberry-orange twist, and it’s on my list to try!
- Cold proof flexibility. The shaped dough holds beautifully in the fridge for up to 2 days, so you can bake on whatever morning suits you.
- Nighttime schedule. This is usually what I do. Mix in the evening, bulk through the night, shape in the morning, and bake after the second rise, or store in the fridge after shaping (cold proof) to bake anytime within the next 2 days.
- Daytime schedule. This recipe flips easily. Mix in the morning, bulk through the day, shape in the evening, then bake that night or cold proof overnight. Daytime kitchens run warmer, so bulk may finish closer to 6 to 8 hours. Watch the dough, not the clock.
