Cranberry Pumpkin Bread: Tuesdays with Dorie

"Tuesdays with Dorie" is both a blog and a link-up, started in 2009 by a blogger named Laurie, who decided to try to make every recipe in Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours." She asked if anyone wanted to bake along with her, got a huge response, and the link-up was born. The group has since moved on to Dorie's cookbook, "Baking with Julia." 

This week's recipe is Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Bread. This week's host is Rebecca, author of This Bountiful Backyard. Please visit her blog if you'd like the original recipe for the bread. Please also visit the Tuesdays with Dorie blog to see posts by all who participated (links will be posted in the comments section); many often make subtle variations to the recipe. 

When I first read the title of the recipe, I was expecting a quick bread, but this is actually a yeast-raised bread. The recipe is very straightforward and easy to follow. The dough must chill overnight in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly. The original recipe instructs you to bake the dough in three small loaf pans, which are the perfect size for giving as hostess or co-worker holiday gifts. 

Because I can't eat walnuts, I omitted them from the recipe. I also used dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen. The rule of thumb for substituting dried fruit for fresh is to use half as much dried as you would fresh. To make up for the missing walnuts, I used an equal amount of dried cranberries as fresh. 

The bread is delicious; it has a soft texture, similar to brioche, and a subtle pumpkin flavor. The tart dried cranberries provide a nice counterbalance to the sweet bread. I cut a slice while the bread was still warm, and enjoyed it with a small pat of butter. This bread was a real treat.