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BBA Challenge: Cherry Pecan Celebration Bread

August 12, 2009 by Nicole 46 Comments

Cut Celebration Loaf

And here comes number eleven!

That’s right, I’m still plugging away at The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge and the next bread up is Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread.  But since Mr. Reinhart gave us the option of choosing different dried fruits and nuts, I decided to celebrate cherry season and use tart dried cherries and pecans in my bread.

Although it is definitely a gorgeous loaf worthy of a celebration, this bread was surprisingly easy to make!  No unusual ingredients for this one, just bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, buttermilk, eggs, butter, water, lemon extract, dried tart cherries, and pecans.

Celebration Bread Ingredients

First, the dry ingredients and wet ingredients (except water) are mixed up separately, then combined in one mixing bowl.

Adding Wet Ingredients to Dry

I stirred everything together with my trusty wooden spoon, then added enough water to make a soft dough.

Mixing the Dough and Adding Water

Ok, perhaps I added a bit too much water.  Don’t panic if this happens, remember that you can always knead in some extra flour during the next step!

Very Wet Dough

Now for the kneading.  I decided to give my mixer a day off, so I kneaded this dough by hand on my board.  A kitchen counter or smooth tabletop also makes a good kneading surface, you don’t need a pastry board to knead bread dough!  But I have one, so I use it.  I sprinkled it with a good amount of flour before scraping the sticky mess of dough out of the bowl, floured up my hands, and got to work!

Wet Dough on Board

It took about eight minutes of kneading by hand, before I ended up with a smooth, pliable, slightly tacky ball of dough.  You really need to make sure that it’s not too stiff at this point, because the nuts and fruit still have to be kneaded in!

Kneaded Dough

I roughly chopped the nuts and cherries before kneading them in.  I think this was the first time I’ve ever kneaded dried fruit and nuts into a bread dough by hand, so I was a little unsure about it.  I just kind of flattened out the dough and dumped the whole mess on there.

Adding Cherries and Nuts

It wasn’t as hard as it seemed.  Just be persistant, and it will get incorporated eventually!

Cherries and Nuts Kneaded In

Now it’s time for bulk fermentation, the stage where you let the yeast do it’s work and let the ball of dough double in bulk.  I cleaned out the mixing bowl, oiled it, and placed the dough inside, rolling it once to coat it with oil.  Now, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in bulk.  If you have a warm house, you will want to check the dough early, because it will rise faster.

Ready to Rise

Here’s my dough about an hour and a half later.  I guess I had some happy yeast!

After Bulk Fermentation

Now it’s time to divide the dough.  For this, I use two important tools:  My bench scraper and my digital scale!

Ready to Divide

Since this is a celebration loaf, it will be shaped into a double braid.  There will be a large three-strand braid on the bottom and a smaller three-strand braid on top.  This means we’ll need six pieces of dough.  Three pieces will be 10 ounces each (for the larger braid) and three pieces will be 4 ounces each (for the smaller braid).    Using a scale makes it simple!

Divided into Six Pieces

Next, the balls of dough need to rolled out into ropes.  The book specifies the lengths you need, so a ruler comes in handy at this stage.  The larger pieces are rolled to about 9 inches long, while the smaller pieces are about 7 inches long.  As you can see, the ropes are thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends.  This technique is what helps to form a nice looking braided loaf that is thicker in the center and tapered at the ends.

Ropes for Braids

And now for the braiding.  Just like for the challah, I started my braid in the middle and worked out to each end.  There are detailed instructions for braiding on page 84 of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Ready for Braiding

Halfway Braided

Finished Braid

After you have braided both the large rope and the small ones, you will place the small braid on top of the large one, making sure it is centered.

Large and Small Braids

Celebration Loaf Assembled

Next, brush the entire loaf with an egg wash and let it proof (rise) uncovered at room temperature for about an hour and a half, or until the loaf nearly doubles in size.

Let Proof Uncovered

After Proofing

After it has doubled, the loaf is carefully brushed with a second egg wash.

After Second Egg Wash

Finally, it is baked at 325 degrees  for 50-55 minutes, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when it is tapped on the bottom of the loaf.  The internal temperature should be between 185 and 190 degrees.  Kind of looks like a roast bird from this angle, doesn’t it?

Celebration Bread Out of the Oven

Although I accidentally baked mine for about ten minutes too long because I forgot to set the timer for an additional five minutes and then got distracted by twitter for fifteen minutes, I was really pleased with this bread!

Like many of the others participating in this challenge, I’m ready for a break from sweet breads and was kind of dreading making another one.  But this bread was both beautiful and delicious!   And pulling such an amazing loaf of bread from the oven really did fill me with a sense of accomplishment.

I’m glad that I decided to use the tart dried cherries and pecans in this bread, they worked really well together.  One thing I might change if I make this bread again is the fruit/nut ratio.  I think it could have used a little less dried fruit and perhaps a handful of extra nuts.  I think I’ll save the cranberry walnut version for Thanksgiving, it will be perfect for leftover turkey sandwiches!

Interested in making this bread?  The recipe can be found on page 154 of Peter Reinhart’s amazing book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

For those of you who are participating in The BBA Challenge, here are some questions:  How did you like the Celebration Bread?   What type of fruit or nuts did you use?  Did you shape it into the double braid or did you choose a different shape?  Would you make it again?

And remember, if you wrote a blog post about the Celebration Bread, or have photos available online, please leave a comment and share your link!

The Next Bread

Next we will be making English Muffins!  It will be nice to have a break from sweet breads for a little while and I love homemade English Muffins!!  The English Muffins are different from the other breads we’ve made so far because they are ‘baked’ on a griddle, rather than in the oven.  The instructions begin on page 157 of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Good luck and happy baking!

Want to Bake Along With Us?

There are several ways for you to join in the fun!  First of all, you need a copy of Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Read the first section of the book carefully, as this will prepare you for the bread recipes in the second section of the book.  Then just jump in and bake some Anadama Bread, which is the first recipe in the book.  But first, please visit The BBA Challenge Page for more details on how to participate in the group!

If you haven’t already, you might want to bookmark the BBA Challenge Page.  From there you can see which breads are coming up soon, find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit and/or add yourself to our World Map, see the BBA Challenge Blogroll, and check out the continually updated slideshow of BBA Bread photos from our ever-expanding group of bakers!

Celebration Bread from other BBA Challenge members:

  • Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread from Susie’s Home and Hobbies
  • Cherry Walnut Celebration Bread from Round the Table
  • Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread from I Can Do That!
  • Cranberry Apricot Celebration Bread from 3Sheik
  • Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread from Ahrelich Gesagt
  • Strawberry Walnut Celebration Bread from A Stove with a House Around It
  • Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread from Something Shiny
  • Peach and Pecan Celebration Bread from Pink Stripes
  • Cranberry Apricot Walnut Celebration Bread from Pete Eatemall
  • Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread from Bewitching Kitchen

Filed Under: BBA Challenge Tagged With: BBA, BBA Challenge, bread, Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, peter reinhart

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paula - bell'alimento says

    August 12, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Hi Nicole- Beautiful pics & the cherry & walnut combo looks deelish. I really LOVED this bread. Here is the link to my post: http://www.bellalimento.com/2009/07/24/cranberry-walnut-celebration-bread
    Reply
  2. Jeff says

    August 12, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    Credit to you for getting it to turn out right. Mine I only ended up with the 3 10 ounce strands but I really did not care for the bread so I was ehh on redoing it solely for picture purposes. From here on out on breads that incorporate berries or nuts into the mixture I am not doing them in the Kitchen Aid. Every time I drop them into the mixing bowl they end up out of the bowl and I spend the next week finding walnut pieces in weird spots. On to the next week :-)
    Reply
  3. Kelly says

    August 12, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Gorgeous Nicole! Looks perfect. I really liked this one. I plan on making this for Thanksgiving but into rolls instead of a loaf. I'm also going to cut back on the fruit. It was a little to fruit-heavy for my tastes. All in all, though, it was delicious! Also, thanks for linking to my post! Kelly
    Reply
  4. Ciaochowlinda says

    August 12, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    What an absolutely beautiful loaf and I love the cherries and pecans you chose. Brava to you for trying this out - it looks so professional.
    Reply
  5. Phoo-D says

    August 12, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    This turned out just lovely! We enjoyed this bread quite a bit and did a combo of dried cherries and dried cranberries along with the walnuts. I agree with you that increasing the nuts and decreasing the dried fruit would be a good idea. If I were to make this again I would skip the braids and go loaf style as I think it would be easier to eat as breakfast toast in that shape. (Also, with a dark finish my braids just didn't look very pretty.)
    Reply
  6. Jennifer, Dove Team says

    August 12, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Hi Nicole, This looks delicious! Have you ever tried Dove Chocolate Promises with Peanut Butter? Dove Chocolate's new Peanut Butter Promises are delicious, silky, smooth and heavenly! For more information, check out http://bit.ly/Vamtb
    Reply
  7. Deb says

    August 12, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    Nicole, as always, GREAT photos! You make me want to bake this bread all over again. (almost!) My experience wasn't quite so successful as my bread over proofed in a too warm kitchen but I learned a lesson to watch my bread and not the clock! My less than stellar experience can be found at http://tinyurl.com/mmu6ky I loved the English Muffins, French Bread & Italian bread and will be tackling the Kaiser Rolls this week. Deb
    Reply
  8. The Italian Dish says

    August 12, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    Gosh, this is a nice bread. I bookmarked it. Great photos.
    Reply
  9. Frieda says

    August 12, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Nicole~ awesome bread! Thanks for getting this challenge going...I've learned so much! French bread dough is proofing and I'm gearing up to be brave on the slashes... Here's my celebration bread post...I made mini loaves using the single braid technique. http://friedalovesbread.blogspot.com/2009/07/bba-cranberry-walnut-celebration-bread.html
    Reply
  10. Sarah says

    August 12, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    This is beautiful and doesn't look too difficult. I think I will try it out. Although, I may try it with dried cranberries.
    Reply
  11. Dianne says

    August 12, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    Hey Nicole, thanks again for including a link to my bread in your post! Your bread looks lovely, and I am quite jealous of how nicely it rose for you. So pretty!
    Reply
  12. jenn @ Pete Eatemall says

    August 12, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    Thanks for including my link. My creature from under the stove was tasty just not too pretty! Yours looks perfect...Happy baking! (As always thanks. :o)
    Reply
  13. The Blushing Hostess says

    August 12, 2009 at 5:32 pm

    Okay, let's make a deal. I will bake vicariously through you by channeling good baking thoughts, then you send me the baked goods. How is this not a win-win?
    Reply
  14. Rebecca says

    August 12, 2009 at 5:59 pm

    That loaf is beautiful Nicole! Great job!
    Reply
  15. susan from food blogga says

    August 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    That double loaf is just gorgeous, Nicole!
    Reply
  16. Lyndsey says

    August 12, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    What a beautiful bread. The tart cherries and pecans sound devine. My sister brings me dried cherries down from Michigan when she visits. She gets them in bulk. I can't get any around here that taste as good. This bread would be so good for breakfast mmm... Wish I could bake.
    Reply
  17. Alta says

    August 13, 2009 at 5:04 am

    Wow, how gorgeous. That braid looks great, and the egg wash certainly made the crust look so deliciously golden-brown. So jealous!
    Reply
  18. ali @ gimmesomeoven says

    August 13, 2009 at 6:36 am

    Absolutely beautiful!! Cherries are undoubtedly one of my favorite dried fruits. Love the extra flavor they bring! Thanks for documenting the braiding process as well - fantastic pictures!! :)
    Reply
  19. Valérie says

    August 13, 2009 at 8:50 am

    I always love your step-by-step pictures and instructions! You make this wonderful bread look easy! Beautiful!
    Reply
  20. Terry Miller says

    August 13, 2009 at 10:48 am

    People seem to be divided on how much they like this bread. I, for one, loved it. One of my favorite lunches is a cranberry-nut bread, cheese, and fruit plate from Starbucks . . . and it comes with a substantial price tag. But I love it, so I indulge myself periodically. My only complaint with Starbucks' plate is that the bread is frequently a little dry. So, it was with an improved Starbucks' bread in mind that I made this bread. Not being a fan of walnuts (too bitter for me), I added pecans. Then, in quest of my imagined bread and not wanting another huge loaf, I formed my bread into three batards. At the completion of baking and waiting (the worst thing of all!), I took a bit of my first slice . . . with the requisite variety of cheese (brie, smoked gouda, extra sharp cheddar, muenster, Dubliner) and fruit (a few purple grapes and orange and apple slices) . . . and knew that I had surpassed my expectations. Absolutely loved the bread! And so did the friends who received the second loaf. I will definitely be baking this bread again . . . goodbye Starbucks!
    Reply
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