With Maple Syrup and Cinnamon
The perfect balance of tart cranberries, fresh orange zest, and cozy holiday flavor
Cranberry orange is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, especially during the holiday season. It strikes the perfect balance between the tartness of the cranberries and the brightness of orange flavor, all rounded out with a touch of maple syrup and warm cinnamon. This cranberry orange sourdough bread is everything I love about winter baking: wholesome, naturally leavened, and full of festive aroma. If you’ve made my weekly sourdough bread recipe before, you’ll recognize the same simple way of mixing, resting, and shaping the dough. This loaf follows that same structure—with just a few additions to make it truly special.
What I love most about sourdough baking is that even a loaf packed with flavor still comes together with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand: bread flour (or all-purpose flour in a pinch), water, salt, and an active sourdough starter. Then we add fresh cranberries, fresh orange zest, cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup to bring everything together. Whether you’re serving this on Christmas morning or gifting it to a friend, this cranberry orange sourdough loaf is a great place to start if you want something festive without extra fuss.
For and in depth guide to making and baking a sourdough boule, check out THIS POST!
Preparing Your Starter
Just like a traditional sourdough boule, you’ll want your starter at room temperature and bubbly before you begin. An active starter will give you the best results. If you feed your starter the night before, it should be ready by morning. And if you’re working with colder kitchen temperatures, place your starter in a warm place—near the stove or wrapped in a tea towel—to help it along.
Want to learn more about maintaining a sourdough starter? Check out this post!
Mixing the Dough
In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: bread flour, cinnamon, orange zest and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients—maple syrup and water. Add your bubbly starter to the wet mixture and stir to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and stir with a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms. The goal here is simply to hydrate the flour. Don’t worry about kneading yet.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. During this rest, the flour absorbs the liquid and the dough becomes easier to work with.
Bulk Fermentation & Stretch-and-Folds
Bulk fermentation is where the magic happens. Over the next few hours, the dough strengthens and becomes airy. Add your chopped cranberries right before your first stretch and fold. As we do our series of stretch and folds they will become more and more incorporated into the dough.
For the first set of stretch and folds, dump in your fresh cranberries. Wet your hands and gently lift the side of the dough, folding it over itself and encasing the cranberries. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you’ve come full circle, giving it 4-6 stretch and folds and encouraging the add-ins to tuck themselves inside. Don’t worry if the cranberries are not yet evenly dispersed. They’ll get there! Allow the dough to rest 30 minutes, then repeat. Do 3 sets of stretch and folds, each 30 minutes apart. Then cover the dough again and set it aside to continue its bulk fermentation.
Let the dough complete its bulk fermentation. This should take 10-12 hours at room temperature. When it has risen by about 50% and feels full of air, it’s ready to shape.
Shaping and Second Rise
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a tight round, and place it seam-side up in a floured banneton. If you’re using a prepared loaf pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper and place the shaped dough inside.
Cover again with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until puffy. This second rise can take anywhere from one to three hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
If you prefer to bake the next morning, stash the shaped dough in a covered banneton or proofing bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
Baking Your Loaf
Place your Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats to 475°F. When the oven is ready, flip your dough onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone bread mat, score the top, and carefully place your dough inside the Dutch oven using the parchment paper as a sling. Place the Dutch oven in the oven and decrease the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes, then uncovered until the top browns and the loaf is deeply golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack or cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing. Your kitchen is going to smell amazing at this point! As hard as it is to wait, this helps set the crumb and keeps the bread from becoming gummy.
How to Enjoy
This bread makes unbelievable cinnamon toast! My mom always kept a bowl of cinnamon sugar ready to go in the top of our medicine cabinet. Was this anyone else’s experience?! Anyway, I keep our bowl in the spice cabinet and reach for it often. With the tartness of the cranberries and melted butter and sweet cinnamon sugar, this is the best breakfast!
Substituting Whole Wheat Flour
If you’d like to add whole wheat flour for extra flavor and health benefits, I recommend swapping in about 20% of the flour. Whole wheat adds warmth and depth, especially when paired with cinnamon and cranberries, but too much can prevent the dough from rising properly. A 20% substitution preserves structure while giving you a wholesome, rustic loaf. Keep an eye on hydration—whole wheat flour absorbs more water—so add an extra tablespoon or two during mixing if the dough feels stiff.
Storing Your Loaf
Once the bread cools, transfer it to a bread box or wrap it in a tea towel to keep the crust crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container for softer texture. This bread also freezes wonderfully—wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months.
Final Thoughts
This cranberry sourdough bread is everything I love about winter baking: flavorful, seasonal, and simple enough for any home baker. With its bold orange flavor, cozy cinnamon, and tart cranberries, it’s a loaf meant for sharing. Serve it with cream cheese, toast it for breakfast, or enjoy it warm with butter on a quiet afternoon. It’s a whole lot of comfort wrapped up in one festive loaf.
If you try this orange sourdough bread recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. And as always, full disclosure—any affiliate links in this post may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you, helping support the work I share here as an Amazon Associate.
Whether you’re new to sourdough or you’re already familiar, I hope this easy recipe feels approachable and delicious. Happy baking!
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Boule
Ingredients
- 120 grams maple syrup
- 250 grams water cold from the tap
- 100 grams sourdough starter active, fed 8-12 hours prior
- 500 grams bread flour substitute up to 100 grams with whole wheat
- 12 grams salt
- Zest of one orange
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg preferably fresh
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest.
- Stir in active sourdough starter, water, and maple syrup until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover and rest 30 minutes
- Perform your first stretch and fold.
- Add chopped fresh cranberries during this fold, gently pressing them into the dough.
- Complete 3 additional stretch-and-fold rounds every 30 minutes until dough becomes smoother and more elastic.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 10–12 hours, or until doubled, airy, and jiggly.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a tight round, and rest 10–15 minutes.
- Final shape into a smooth boule and place seam-side up in a floured banneton.
- Final Rise Options
- Room temperature: Rise 1–2 hours until puffy.
- Cold retard: Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours for enhanced flavor and easier scoring.
Preheat & Prepare to Bake
- Place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto parchment, score the top, and carefully lower into the hot Dutch oven.
- Bake 20 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the lid and bake 15 minutes uncovered, until deeply golden.
- Transfer the boule to a rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Quick Cinnamon Butter (Optional Topping)
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter, cinnamon, maple syrup or honey, and a pinch of salt.
- Whip until creamy and smooth.
- Serve with warm slices of cranberry orange sourdough.
