Spiced Cranberry Cofeecake

Today in the bread-baking blog, we're continuing our no knead series by making a Spiced Cranberry Bundt-Style Coffeecake using the Kneadlessly Simple method. This bread is made with an all-purpose enriched sweet dough. The dough is very versatile. It is slightly sweet and suitable for making coffeecakes, various enriched loaves, and dessert breads.

Spiced Cranberry Bundt-Style Coffeecake

Makes: 1 large round coffeecake (12 to 14 portions or slices)

Making the All-Purpose Enriched Sweet Dough

The first step is to make the all-purpose enriched sweet dough.

First Rise (for all-purpose dough):

In a large bowl, stir together 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon instant yeast. Vigorously stir in 1 1/4 cups ice water.

Scrape down the sides and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry, add additional water, a little bit at a time. Or, if necessary, add a little extra flour until it forms a fairly soft dough. I added a little extra flour.

Brush the top of the dough evenly with flavorless vegetable oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

This is what the dough looks like after 15 hours.

Second Rise (for all-purpose dough)

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 to 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk, and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, then cooled slightly), then mix in 2 large eggs (beaten) until well blended.

Gradually add the egg mixture, then 2/3 cup flour, to the dough and mix until evenly distributed. I did this using the dough hook and my stand mixture. It made it much easier. Add more flour if necessary to yield a hard-to-stir dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl carefully.

Making the Cranberry Coffeecake

Soak 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes then drain them.

Second Rise (for the Cranberry Coffeecake Dough):

Vigorously stir the cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) into the dough until thoroughly incorporated. 

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cardamon, and 1 teaspoon coriander until well blended. Then stir into the dough until thoroughly mixed. If necessary, stir in more flour to make a stiff dough.

Grease an 8 to 10 cup Bundt pan (or similar pan). I greased mine with butter to make sure it was well greased.

Turn the dough out into the pan. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Spread the dough and smooth out using an oiled rubber spatula.

Tent the pan with nonstick spray-coated foil. I decided to do an extended rise for this bread so instead of tenting it with foil, I covered the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerated the dough for 15 hours.

Then I took it out of the refrigerator, tented it with foil and let it set out at room temperature for a couple of hours to take off the chill and let the dough finish rising.

This is what the risen dough looks like.

Baking the Coffeecake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 15 minutes before baking time and place the rack in the lower third of the oven. Bake on the lower rack for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

Cover the bread with foil if necessary to prevent it from over-browning.

Continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out almost clean. Then bake for another 5 minutes to ensure the bottom of the loaf is done. It only took about 40 minutes for this bread to bake in my oven. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the center tube and sides to loosen the coffeecake, then invert it onto the rack. I didn't need to do this part. I greased my pan with butter using a paper towel so the bread came out very easily.

Let it cool, then brush off any crumbs from the surface of the loaf.

Serving the Coffeecake

Transfer the loaf to a serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

The coffeecake slices best when cool, but is good warm, at room temperature, or toasted. I can attest to this. In fact, I asked my taste tester how he would describe the coffeecake and he said, "I would just call it delicious!" It is a delicious breakfast bread or dessert bread. Yummy!

Storing the Bread

Cool completely before storing airtight in a plastic container or cake keeper. Keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

This bread has been submitted to Bread Baking Day #22: Sweet Breads.

View all of the delicious breads in the Bread Baking Day #22 Roundup.

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Happy Baking!
Cathy