CRANBERRY NUT BREAD
WE DON'T MAKE CRANBERRY NUT BREAD just for ourselves. We make it for the kindergarten teacher, the mail carrier, and anyone else who deserves something homemade rather than store-bought for the holidays.
The problem is that this simple bread is often sub-par, sunken in the middle, too dense, or so overly sweetened that the contrast between the tart berries and what should be a slightly sweet dough is lost. We wanted to avoid these problems, and we had some other goals in mind as well. We were looking for a crust that was golden brown and evenly thin all the way around and a texture that was somewhere between a dense, breakfast bread and a light, airy cake. And, for convenience sake, we wanted a recipe that fit easily into a standard 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. After looking at almost 60 recipes, it seemed evident that the mixing method and the leavening were the most important factors in getting the quick bread we were after.
First we tackled mixing. Some recipes called for the creaming method, others the quick bread method (as defined on TECHNIQUES). We made several loaves using each of these methods. While the creaming method did give us a marginally more tender bread, we quickly determined that it was too light and airy. We liked the denser, more compact texture produced by the quick bread method. An added advantage of the quick bread method is that—as its name implies—it can be put together very quickly.
Next we moved on to the question of leavening. When we looked back at our testing, we noted that 75 percent of the recipes combined baking powder with baking soda to leaven the bread. The rest used all baking powder or all baking soda. We tried every option we could think of using these two leaveners, both alone and together. We found that baking powder seemed to enhance the flavor, while baking soda supported the structure; finding the right balance was tricky. Eventually, we came to the decision that 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda combined with 1 teaspoon of baking powder gave us the bright flavor and rather dense texture we were looking for.
With our mixing and leavening methods settled, we focused on ingredients. We quickly determined that we liked the flavor that butter provided over that of oil, margarine, or vegetable shortening. More than one egg made the bread almost too rich and caused the interior to turn somewhat yellow. After testing different amounts and types of sugar, we stuck with one cup of granulated sugar, which provided the right amount of sweetness. Orange zest added not only to the flavor but to the interior appearance as well.
We also tinkered with the liquid component. Many recipes called for water or even boiling water, but freshly squeezed orange juice was usually mentioned and offered the best flavor. We compared fresh, home-squeezed orange juice with commercially prepared juices made from both fresh oranges and from concentrate; home-squeezed juice was the winner, hands down.
Not every recipe called for dairy, but we tested everything from heavy cream to sour cream. Both buttermilk and yogurt provided the moistness and tang we were looking for, with buttermilk edging out yogurt by a hairbreadth.
Last but not least were the cranberries. The cranberry harvest begins just after Labor Day and continues through early fall, which means that by mid-to late January, no fresh berries are available. Cranberries freeze beautifully, so grab a few extra bags to have on hand and freeze them until ready to use. We found no discernible difference in the finished product whether using fresh or frozen cranberries.