Bake the Best Currant Cranberry Bread: Fluffy, Fruity & Perfectly Sweet
This Currant Cranberry Bread is an absolute delight, generously stuffed with plump currants, sweet raisins, and tangy cranberries. It’s incredibly airy, bursting with flavor, and loaded with an abundance of delicious fruits. A truly tasty treat that’s especially enjoyable with a generous smear of creamy butter.
There’s something uniquely comforting and deeply satisfying about the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the house. And when that bread is wonderfully enriched with a generous scattering of sweet, juicy fruits, it elevates the entire experience to an entirely new level. My youngest son, Coen, in particular, has a profound fondness for raisin bread. He’s a true connoisseur, the kind who would happily request it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if he could!
While many store-bought raisin breads can often be a bit disappointing—sometimes offering just a sparse scattering of fruit that feels more like an afterthought than a key ingredient—the raisin bread from our local bakery sets a high standard. It’s always richly filled and incredibly flavorful. Inspired by Coen’s unwavering love for these fruit-studded loaves and my desire to create an even more exceptional, bountiful version at home, I decided to embark on a delightful baking challenge. My goal was to craft a homemade fruit bread that wasn’t just good, but truly extraordinary, overflowing with a symphony of fruits.
I envisioned a loaf packed not only with the familiar sweetness of currants and raisins but also with a vibrant, slightly tart counterpoint to balance the richness. This quest led me to a secret ingredient that would make every bite exciting: ruby-red cranberries. This combination promised a complex interplay of textures and flavors, ensuring that every slice would be a delectable experience, far surpassing any meager store-bought alternative.
The Delightful Addition of Cranberries: A Twist on Traditional Fruit Bread
Many traditional fruit bread recipes often suggest adding ingredients like candied lemon peel or those brightly colored Bigarreau cherries. While these certainly have their place in certain classic baked goods, I’ve always found myself gravitating towards a different kind of fruit profile in my bread. There’s a particular artificial sweetness or somewhat rubbery texture in many candied fruits that, for me, just doesn’t quite hit the mark. It often detracts from the natural, wholesome taste I seek in a homemade loaf.
In contrast, when I’m in need of a genuinely refreshing and flavorful snack, cranberries are almost always my go-to choice. Their natural, zesty tartness and stunning, jewel-like color are simply irresistible. Given this personal preference, it felt entirely natural—almost destined—to incorporate these wonderful berries into my special fruit bread recipe. I was confident they would provide the perfect balance and an exciting burst of flavor.
The culinary experiment proved to be a resounding success, exceeding all expectations! The subtle yet distinct sour tang of the cranberries beautifully complemented the inherent sweetness of the plump raisins and delicate currants. This delightful contrast prevented the bread from becoming overly saccharine, instead adding a complex, bright, and invigorating note to each and every bite. Coen, my young and discerning food critic, gave his enthusiastic approval. He happily devoured slice after slice, each one generously slathered with a thick layer of creamy butter, bestowing upon this homemade creation his highest seal of approval. It was a truly proud moment as a baker, knowing that even the most particular palates could appreciate the careful balance and rich flavors of this well-crafted loaf.
Crafting Your Perfect Fruit Bread: Essential Tips for Baking Success
Baking a truly exceptional fruit bread requires a little thoughtful care and attention to detail, but rest assured, the efforts are incredibly rewarding. The ultimate goal is to achieve a bread with a light, airy, and tender crumb, generously studded with fruit, rather than a dense, heavy, or dry loaf. The journey begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. Ensuring your yeast is fresh and active is paramount, as it forms the very foundation of a successful rise and a well-structured bread.
When it comes to the stars of the show—the dried fruits—don’t be shy! The wonderful advantage of baking your own bread at home is that you have complete control over the quantity. Feel free to be generous, ensuring that every single slice is bursting with delicious, fruity flavor. A simple yet effective step is to thoroughly wash your currants, raisins, and cranberries under cold running water before use, then drain them exceptionally well. This process not only helps remove any potential impurities but can also slightly rehydrate and plump up the fruits, contributing to a juicier texture within the baked bread. If your dried fruits appear particularly dry or shriveled, a brief soak in warm water for about 10-15 minutes (followed by thorough draining and patting dry) can make a significant difference in their final texture.
The art of kneading is absolutely crucial for developing the gluten within the flour. Gluten is what gives your bread its vital structure, elasticity, and that satisfying chewiness. When you’re ready to incorporate the dried fruits, it’s best to do so towards the end of the kneading process. This strategic timing prevents them from being over-processed or broken down too much, and it ensures they are beautifully and evenly distributed throughout the dough. The dough itself should feel wonderfully smooth and elastic to the touch. Don’t be hesitant to make small adjustments as you knead: if the dough feels too sticky, add a tiny bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time; if it’s too dry, a splash of milk will help, until you achieve that perfect, pliable consistency.
The Rise and Bake: Achieving That Golden, Airy Perfection
Patience truly is a virtue in the world of bread making, especially during the crucial rising stages. The first rise, often referred to as bulk fermentation, is where the yeast performs its magical work, diligently developing the bread’s complex flavors and expanding the dough significantly. An ideal environment for this process is a warm, draft-free spot, and covering the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap is essential to prevent the dough from drying out. You’re aiming for the dough to gracefully double in size, a process that typically takes around an hour but can vary depending on the ambient room temperature.
Once the first rise is complete, gently de-gas the dough. This means carefully pressing out the accumulated air, which is a vital step that helps to create a finer, more even crumb structure in the finished bread. Following this, lovingly shape your dough into a neat loaf and transfer it into your prepared, greased bread baking tin. This sets the stage for the second rise, also known as proofing. This final rise is incredibly important for achieving the bread’s optimal volume and its characteristic light, airy texture. Once again, cover the loaf with a damp tea towel and allow it to rise until it appears nicely puffed up and comfortably fills the tin. This second rise is often shorter than the first, typically ranging from 30 to 60 minutes, again influenced by the warmth of your kitchen.
Adequately preheating your oven is absolutely vital for ensuring a good “oven spring”—the final burst of rising that occurs when the cold dough makes contact with the hot environment of the oven. Once your fruit bread has baked to a beautiful, inviting golden-brown hue and sounds satisfyingly hollow when gently tapped on the bottom, it’s perfectly done. For an extra touch of indulgence and to ensure a wonderfully soft crust, a clever trick is to brush the top of the bread with a little melted butter immediately after you remove it from the oven. This not only creates a lovely, glistening sheen but also imparts another layer of rich, buttery deliciousness.
Finally, resist the urge to slice into your masterpiece right away! Allowing the loaf to rest in the tin for a few minutes before carefully removing it and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely is crucial. This cooling period allows the internal structure of the bread to properly set, resulting in much cleaner and more appealing slices. This homemade Currant Cranberry Bread is far more than just a recipe; it’s an experience that brings warmth, delightful aromas, and incredible flavor to your table. Whether you choose to savor it for a hearty breakfast, a comforting afternoon snack, or as an elegant accompaniment to your tea or coffee, this bread is truly destined to become a cherished family favorite, enjoyed for its abundant fruitiness and perfect texture.
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📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Andréa
Pin Recipe
20 minutes
45 minutes
3 hours
4 hours
5 minutes
Breakfast, Bread Baking, Lunch
Other
12
slices
496
kcal
Equipment
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Bread baking tin (standard loaf pan, approximately 9×5 inches or 23×13 cm)
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A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
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Large mixing bowl
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Damp tea towel or plastic wrap
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 4 cups currants
- 4 cups raisins
- ½ cups cranberries
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons instant yeast
- ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup lukewarm water (approx. 180ml, for yeast activation and dough)
- 3 tablespoons milk (as needed, for adjusting dough consistency)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature, for coating the baked bread
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
US Customary
Instructions
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Wash the currants, raisins, and cranberries thoroughly under cold running water. Drain them very well in a fine-mesh sieve, gently shaking to remove excess water, then set them aside. Optionally, you can pat them dry with a paper towel for best results.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix these dry ingredients together, ensuring an even distribution of the yeast and spices.
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Gradually pour the lukewarm water into the center of the flour mixture. Begin to knead the dough, either by hand or using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, for about 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are just combined and a shaggy, rough dough forms.
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Now, add the salt and all of your washed and well-drained currants, raisins, and cranberries to the dough.
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Continue kneading the dough vigorously for another 10-15 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and pass the windowpane test (where a small piece can be stretched thin enough to see light through it without tearing). If the dough feels too dry or stiff, add milk one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. If it’s too wet and sticky, incorporate a little extra flour gradually.
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Lightly grease a large, clean bowl with a little oil. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl, turning it once to ensure it’s lightly coated. Cover the bowl tightly with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has impressively doubled in size, which usually takes approximately 1 hour.
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Once the dough has completed its first rise, gently punch it down to release the trapped air. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then shape it into a smooth, even loaf. Carefully place this shaped dough into a greased bread baking tin (a standard 9×5 inch or 23×13 cm loaf pan works best).
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Cover the loaf tin containing the shaped dough with the damp tea towel or plastic wrap once more, ensuring it doesn’t stick to the dough as it rises.
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Allow the dough to rise for a second time in the loaf tin. This “proofing” stage is complete when the dough has visibly increased in size and looks nicely puffed, typically taking another 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it nearly reaches the top of the tin.
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About 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for a good oven spring.
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Once the second rise is complete, place the loaf tin in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the bread achieves a beautiful golden-brown color and sounds hollow when you gently tap its bottom.
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Immediately upon removing the bread from the oven, generously brush the top surface with the room temperature unsalted butter. This step will help create a wonderfully soft crust and add an extra layer of rich flavor.
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Let the baked loaf rest in its tin for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the tin and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. This ensures the internal structure sets properly for the best texture. Enjoy your delicious homemade fruit bread!
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 120g
Protein: 8g
Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Sodium: 416mg
Fiber: 9g
Sugar: 44g
Vitamin A: 76IU
Vitamin C: 5mg
Iron: 5mg
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