Thanksgiving Cranberry Corn Bread
It will soon be American Thanksgiving, so I thought I’d re-post our Thanksgiving Cranberry Corn bread. It’s based on the Portuguese Broa style (page 151 in the book)—it’s the regular Master Recipe, but with 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour taken out and replaced with an equal amount of cornmeal.
Here’s what you need to do. Take about 2 pounds of the Broa dough mentioned above and shape it into a ball; then flatten it with your hands and a rolling pin until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with 1/3 of a cup of dried cranberries (or 1/2 cup fresh):
Now break out your microzester, and use it to scrape the zest from half an orange…
… now sprinkle that over the cranberries, and then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar over that…
Now roll it up like a jelly roll… If it sticks to the board as you’re rolling, nudge it off with a dough scraper.
Tuck the ends under to form a ball, flatten it on a work surface, and then, using your hands and a rolling pin, make a disk the right size for a 12-inch cast iron pan. It should be about an inch or inch and a half thick. If you don’t have a cast-iron pan, see below.** This instruction applies to this flattened thanksgiving bread only; you can make loaf breads this way too (freeform or in a pan).
Grease the pan well with butter, lard, bacon grease, or oil (I used olive oil today), and place the dough round in it.
Allow to rest for at least 1 hour and 20 minutes. You’ll get a more open hole structure if you wait two hours.
Put a broiler tray in the oven to dump water to make steam. 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F if you keep a baking stone in the oven. If you don’ t use a stone, a 5-minute pre-heat is adequate (the stone isn’t required since you’ll bake in the cast-iron).
Just before baking, heat the cast-iron pan over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes to jump-start the baking process and promote caramelization of the bottom crust. Don’t overdo it–no more than 2 minutes. It will start to sizzle.
Place the pan on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Depending on the thickness of your loaf and the weight of the pan, baking time will be about 25 minutes.
Carefully turn the hot loaf out of the pan onto a serving plate or cooling rack, or just cut wedges directly out of the pan once it cools. Be careful with the hot cast-iron pan!
You should get a result just like the cover photo. Happy Thanksgiving! Other Thanksgiving recipes:
Stuffing from homemade bread: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1228
Thanksgiving buns: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=443
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Brioche: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1209
Roasting Your Own Pumpkins: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=50
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** This bread can be done as a simple free-form loaf right on a baking stone, cookie sheet, or silicone mat (about the same baking time, or in a loaf pan (longer baking time needed). Either way, it’s done at 425 degrees.
I can’t wait to try this recipe and especially the english muffin recipe you posted. I just spent 6 hours with another english muffin recipe, and can’t wait to try this one instead!
Wish I could try that cranberry cornbread, but both cranberries and cornbread are generally frowned upon (by others) in my house. Sounds great though!
My first look around your site and have already entered a second giveaway! Perhaps I will win…who knows? Finding two scrumptious-looking recipes is a winning ticket already! Now to try to find a cast-iron pizza pan…
What a wonderful contest and I love this blog. Thanks so much for sharing all the recipes and tips with us. I would love to win your cookbook and all the wonderful accessories.
I just made the Portuguese Broa and it turned out great!
Just discovered this and am eager to try it–thanks for the great recipes!
My husband is in the military an we currently live in Gemany- moving in the next couple of weeks back to the states, I love all the bread over here, and will miss it terribly but thanks to your books I can create my own breads. I have one baking now, Thanks so much I love the taste.
Made the beer bread recently. Came out great. Am looking forward to the chocolate mini breads.
Can’t wait to try the breads!
A friend introduced me to ABin5 and the bread yesterday evening. Wonderful, crusty — and I’m ready and eager to try baking it for myself. Of course, I’d love to win the prizes from King Arthur flour.
Breadmaking with this method , just gets better and better. I am teaching my sweet Mama how to do this for her and my Daddy. Everyone loves the end results!
Might try this cornbread recipe but definitely making stuffing with the artisan bread. Did it last year and it was awesome!!! Thanks for offering this contest too, it would be nice to win, I’m baking bread all the time now thanks to Jeff and Zoe!
This cornbread looks delicious!
Would love to win the package!
YUM!!!
awesome contest!
I can’t wait to make this bread!
What an awesome give away!!! King Arthur Flour, and Red Star Yeast work the BEST.
Your book has been “life changing” and I’m not just being dramatic. It’s opened up a whole new world. I don’t “Fear Yeast” anymore. Can’t wait to try this cornmeal cranberry recipe…looks fabulous.
I can smell it now…hmmm! Love the looks, will try to make it for Thanksgiving. Thanks, Mark
looks and sounds delicious…i’m definitely trying this recipe!
Been using King Arthur Flour for many, many years, even when I had to drive 50 miles one way to get it. Would love to win the prize.
Love bread baking and ABin5 changed my life! And I am a huge fan of KAF….great products!
I love your books and the bread looks wonderful. Can’t wait to try it.
Will have to try this for Thanksgiving. Guess I’ll have to make another trip to the store. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win.
Love these books. Glad it is bread making weather again.
This looks like something my whole family would love to eat! Yum! Thanks for the chance!
Yummy! I test baked this last weekend, and it will be on my table for Thanksgiving! Thank you!!
I absolutely LOVE this bread making method! I’ve evangelized many with the ease and wonder of making delicious bread daily. I really enjoyed the beer bread recipe and thought that would be the special bread for Thanksgiving, but this post gave me some other ideas!
I’ve been using King Arthur Flour for years–they also have many great recipes! Thanks so much!
While I am gluten free, I regularly make 5 min. bread for my husband. It’s great, he loves the taste and texture. For me it really lessens my exposure to wheat flour, as I don’t touch the dough except for minimal shaping. The prize package would make it that much easier for me to keep him supplied with great bread. Karen
I love King Arthur products and I love this method of baking bread. What a great combination!
For it is we who must pray for our daily bread, and if He grants it to us, it is only through our labour, our skill and preparation. ~ Paracelsus
Yum! I can almost smell it!
I have just discovered Artisan Bread in 5! I love it. Most importantly my hubby loves it. I would love to have my own copy and not have to share with the library!
I would LOVE to win this set…King Arthur flour is the best, and your books are amazing! Thanks for a great giveaway!
LOVE King Arthur flour!! AND this Cranberry Cornbread looks fantastic!!
Ooooo I <3 contests!! I hope I get picked
Borrowed the book from my sister and I love it!
I love Artisan Bread in Five! I’ll try this recipe this week. Yum!
I love King Arthur Bread flour. I’ve tried several here at around 6500 ft. and their’s works the best so far. I think I have finally mastered the Master Recipe and am ready to try some new one.
I just started using King Arthur flour and love it. I have a friend that hs your book and the breads she makes out of it are wonderful! I haven’t had a bad one yet…..LOL. I am going to print off a couple of recipes here and take them with me to Thanksgiving dinner. Putting your book on my christmas list………… Happy Holidays!
Looks yummy. Time to make some dough for Thursday’s bread. Add me to the contest too!
I love your recipes. I have been making bread several times a week for about a month now. So yummy.
hmmm looks interesting. might have to give this one a try.
and what a fun contest! pick me pick me
Love Portuguese Broa ! – and ABin5!
Love your site! Have made tons of bread from your recipes. Wish I had the book and some supplies too!
I will have to try this recipe. I love this dough base.
Love love love this bread!!!!!
Always lovin what’s comin from this oven…
Just got my first King Arthur Flour catalog and finding lots of goodies in there!
This is such a great idea. I have had dough in my fridge since june and cannot imagine life witnout your bread. My 6 year old son tells me I should sell my breads,lol so I guess it passes the kid test, thank you.
Have been having a GREAT time since attending your class in October. Absolutely LOVE the brioche dough and am planning that for Thanksgiving buns. Going to make sandwich buns today for ham and cheese sandwiches tonight. Yay for vacation, family and bread!