Baked Brie Cranberry Bread

Baked brie cranberry bread combines seasonal fresh cranberries and creamy brie cheese, kneaded and baked into a super fluffy and tender bread loaf. This is a fantastic holiday dinner bread and bread for use in fall and winter charcuterie boards.

You can make baked brie cranberry bread in a bread machine or by hand using a stand mixer (instructions are below). It's an easy bread recipe that is modeled off of my family's traditional holiday bread, sun dried tomato basil bread. Prefer a quick bread? Check out this cranberry walnut bread or cranberry cream cheese bread.

This bread has been perfected over many years. I use the ratios in this recipe to make the majority of my yeast loaves that include herbs, fruit, and meat stuffed breads. It's a great version of my readers' favorite super fluffy white bread, garlic bread, parmesan rosemary bread and Mediterranean olive bread.

Pepperoni pizza bread is one of our favorite breads using the base of this recipe. If you haven't tried it, you should. I promise you won't be disappointed! It tastes like you are eating a slice of pizza stuffed into America's comfort classic: bread!

Ingredients

To make baked brie cranberry bread, you need:

• the basics: flour, sugar, salt, yeast
• fresh cranberries
• brie cheese
• dried rosemary
• dried thyme
• plain yogurt
• parmesan cheese

I use bread flour for most of my yeast breads, but you can substitute with all purpose flour. In general, you shouldn't need to make any major changes to other ingredients if using all purpose flour. The difference between all purpose flour and bread flour is the protein content.

You can use instant, active dry, or bread maker yeast. I have only ever used active dry yeast. But the other 2 yeasts should produce the same results, according to baking standards.

Bread Machine Instructions

1. In a small saucepan heat the water and yogurt until it's steaming, but not boiling. Stir it to mix the yogurt into the water occasionally. Then let it cool for 5 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Crush the fresh cranberries using a meat masher until they pop. Since cranberries are hard, you want to press down on them to soften them up or pop them slightly. You don't need to crush them completely.
3. Then to the bread machine, add all ingredients in the order recommended. For Cuisinart Bread Makers: water/yogurt, flour, salt, sugar, yeast, thyme, rosemary, parmesan, brie, cranberries.
4. Set to the basic white bread function and choose the 1.5 lb loaf size and your preferred crust color. Select start and watch the machine work it's magic for you!
5. When it's done, transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Baking In The Oven

You can also use the bread machine just to knead the dough and instead cook your baked brie cranberry bread in the oven. The only difference between baking brie cranberry bread in the oven compared to the bread machine is the end shape of the loaf. In the bread machine your baked cranberry brie bread will be the shape of the bread pan. If you choose to bake it in the oven, you can shape the dough into a circle or oval, or even make individual size bread balls.

1. Set to the dough function instead of the white/basic bread function. The bread machine will take about 90 minutes to knead your dough.
2. When the dough is finished remove from the bread pan and punch it down a few times. Then shape into a ball or oval. Slice an X in the top and let it rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.
3. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes top with extra brie and rosemary or thyme. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve your super fluffy and delicious baked brie cranberry bread at Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. It is a fantastic bread for eating all fall and winter long, when fresh cranberries make their way into the grocery store. It's amazing eaten plain or with butter, cream cheese or homemade apple butter.

By Hand Instructions

If you prefer to make baked brie cranberry bread by hand or do not have a bread machine, follow these simple instructions.

1. In a small saucepan heat the water and yogurt until it's steaming, but not boiling. Stir it to mix the yogurt into the water occasionally. Then let it cool for 5 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Crush the fresh cranberries using a meat masher until they pop. Since cranberries are hard, you want to press down on them to soften them up or pop them slightly. You don't need to crush them completely.
3. Add the water/yogurt and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the flour, salt, sugar, thyme, rosemary brie, and parmesan. Mix on speed 2 for 1 minute.
4. Add the cranberries and mix on speed 2 for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is tacky and cranberries are distributed.
5. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with a heavy towel and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. Punch the dough down a few times, shape into a ball or oval and place on a baking sheet. Slice an X in the top and let rest for 10 minutes next to the preheating oven.
7. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. With 15 minutes left, add some more brie and rosemary to the top if desired.
8. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.Then serve and enjoy your freshly baked brie cranberry bread!

How To Store

Store baked brie cranberry bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. It is freezer friendly and will keep well wrapped in plastic or in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.

Recipe FAQs