Ingredients
Method
- Read the full method before beginning. In a very large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and instant yeast.
- Pour in the cool water and stir with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until a sticky, shaggy dough forms and all the flour is moistened.
- With clean, lightly wet hands, fold in the walnuts, pecans, golden raisins, and dried cranberries. Gently knead the dough in the bowl until the add-ins are evenly dispersed.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or an airtight lid so the surface does not dry out. Set it on the counter in a cool spot and let it rest overnight, 12 to 18 hours, without placing it in a warm oven or sunny area.
- By the next morning, the dough should look puffy, airy, and dotted with bubbles across the top.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape it into a smooth, rounded loaf and set it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper, about 12 by 16 inches.
- Lift the parchment and dough into a 10-inch Dutch oven or similar lidded pot. Cover the pot and let the loaf rise in a warm place for 2 hours; it will puff up slightly but not double in size.
- When the rise is complete, use a lame or a very sharp knife to score three shallow slashes across the top. Put the lid on the pot and place the whole thing in a cold oven.
- Set the oven to 450°F and bake the covered loaf for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 10 more minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads about 205°F.
- Carefully take the bread out of the pot and transfer it to a wire rack. Serve it warm if you like, or let it cool completely before slicing for neater pieces.
Nutrition
Notes
Feel free to swap any nut or dried fruit for equal amounts of almonds, dates, cherries, or apricots.
Cover the bowl very tightly for the overnight rest so the dough does not form a dry skin.
If your kitchen is warm, check the dough after 12 hours; it should look puffy and full of bubbles.
For a heartier loaf, replace up to half of the bread flour with whole wheat flour and add a little extra water.
A 10-inch Dutch oven works best, but any lidded oven-safe pot around 4 to 6 quarts will do.
Let the finished loaf cool completely on a rack before slicing if you want cleaner, more even pieces.
Keep leftovers in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze the wrapped loaf for up to 2 months.
