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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. pam says

    August 13, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    That is the best bread baking tutorial that I have ever seen! I might even attempt this one. Maybe.
    Reply
  2. mags says

    August 13, 2009 at 5:50 pm

    I'm guilty of skipping over this one. I just didn't have room for another loaf of sweet bread in my freezer! Kudos to you for sticking it out. And might I add that you did a fantastic job. Lovely bread Nicole.
    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    August 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    It does look a little like a roast chicken!! Beautiful step by step photos.
    Reply
  4. Steph says

    August 13, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    Wow Nicole...incredible how you make these beautiful creations. That bread looks not only yummy but just like a center piece for a big holiday meal or something. :)
    Reply
  5. Veron says

    August 14, 2009 at 6:00 am

    This looks delicious. Love the color of the bread!
    Reply
  6. Shauna fromt Piece of Cake says

    August 14, 2009 at 10:05 am

    Gorgeous photos! The mise shot especially warms the cockles of my Type A heart. I am on a cherry-pecan bender of sorts after doing an Alice Medrich cookie recipe with them. It really is perfect!
    Reply
  7. Ashley says

    August 14, 2009 at 11:56 am

    This is a beautiful loaf of bread - wow!
    Reply
  8. Angelia McGowan says

    August 15, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    That is so beautiful, and includes my favorite things! I cant wait to make this at the holidays, along with maybe a cranberry walnut one, you've got me thinking!
    Reply
  9. Di says

    August 16, 2009 at 11:14 am

    That looks fabulous, Nicole! I love how there are so many different breads in this book and how baking them alphabetically gives us a nice variety.
    Reply
  10. amanda says

    August 16, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    oh my gosh, that bread is gorgeous! I know you said you baked it a tad too long but I love the deep color. I bet it's delicious and I can't wait until I finally get around to making it!
    Reply
  11. Rebecca says

    August 17, 2009 at 5:45 pm

    I hear you on being ready for a break from the celebration breads! Yours came out lovely, though. I made mine a couple weeks ago, but forgot to post any links to it. Here it is: http://grongar.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/cranberry-walnut-celebration-bread-bba-challenge-bread-11/.
    Reply
  12. cheffresco says

    August 17, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    I just recently made my first braided bread - I loved it. Yours looks so delicious!! And perfectly done!
    Reply
  13. A&N says

    August 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    This is next on our list too! :) Yours looks perfect, Nicole!
    Reply
  14. natalia says

    August 19, 2009 at 12:49 am

    Ciao Nicole ! I will be baking this wonderful bread in a long time ! For now I just made it to catch up the slow and steady group !!! Thanks always for creating this group !!!
    Reply
  15. Laura says

    August 19, 2009 at 8:26 am

    Nicole, I loved this bread! I haven't written a post yet though. I wanted to let you know that I am "passing" a little award I received from a friend onto your lovely blog. Enjoy! CIAO!
    Reply
  16. Daniel says

    August 20, 2009 at 1:39 am

    Hey Nicole, Fantastic looking bread. And with cherries! They rival cranberries in my book. Thank you so much for including a link to my bread, even though it came out all toppled! And thanks again for leading the Challenge!
    Reply
  17. Hélène says

    August 25, 2009 at 11:32 am

    Nicole, what a beautiful bread. I like the idea of adding cherries. Thanks again for starting the challenge. I enjoy doing it and learn more every week. :)
    Reply
  18. AP269 says

    October 4, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    Beautiful bread. Worked out perfectly for me, too ;-). Here it is: http://ap269.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/bba-challenge-11-cranberry-walnut-celebration-bread/
    Reply
  19. Danielle says

    October 14, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    I took your advice and reduced the amount of dried fruit - worked like a charm! http://wp.me/p1BLc-tN
    Reply
  20. Ravenlynne says

    March 9, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    NOt only lovely, but this is a delicious bread! I finished mine today: http://ravenwolflodge.blogspot.com/2010/03/bba-challenge-cranberry-read-cherry.html
    Reply
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