Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread

Made with tart, fresh cranberries and bright orange zest, this moist Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread is an easy loaf to serve a crowd!

The festive quick bread recipe uses sourdough discard and yogurt for a moist and tender crumb, fresh cranberries for bursts of flavor balanced with bright orange zest, and it’s topped with an orange glaze.

The melt-in-your-mouth cranberry orange sourdough bread is a perfect quick bread to serve slices of at Thanksgiving or the holidays for breakfast or dessert.

Follow the detailed tips and instructions below to make the best cranberry orange sourdough bread, accompanied by photos of every step.

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👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Similar batter to my Sourdough Cranberry Yogurt Muffins and another easy way to use sourdough discard.
• Tender and moist crumb that’s buttery and sweet.
• Bakes in a standard loaf pan.
• Serves 8-10 people.
• Tastes light and refreshing with bright orange zest and orange glaze.
• Sweet-and-tart combination with jewels of bursting red cranberries.

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🛠 Tools Needed

• Baking scale
  • Flour and sourdough starter can weigh differently from person to person, so weighing your ingredients will help you replicate a recipe and be more accurate.
• Stand Mixer, optional but recommended
  • You can also use an electric hand mixer.
• Spatula, for folding in the cranberries and scraping into the loaf pan.
• 8.5×4.5″ Bread Loaf Pan
  • Grease and line the bread pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and easy removal.
  • My favorite USA Pan linked above is made of aluminized steel and bakes evenly.
  • You can also use a 9×5″ bread loaf pan, but the loaf will be squatter and may bake slightly faster.

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🛒 Ingredients Needed

Please see below for my ingredient recommendations, the baking science behind their use, and potential substitutions.

• All-purpose flour
  • You can substitute some or all of the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour or whole wheat flour.
• Salt, to bring out the flavors and balance the sweetness.
• Baking Powder helps the quick bread rise and keeps a soft, tender crumb.
• Orange
  • Use the zest of an orange in the batter and fresh orange juice in the glaze.
  • If you love citrus, you’ll also enjoy my Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake.
  • For other flavors, you can add spices like nutmeg or cinnamon to the batter.
• Unsalted butter, softened
  • Use softened, room temperature butter that will cream well for a light loaf.
  • I cream the butter and sugar together first like making Sourdough Sugar Cookies or Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies.
  • For a richer flavor, use a European-style butter such as Kerrygold, like I do for Sourdough Croissants.
• Granulated Sugar
  • Assists with browning, sweetness, and aerating the batter.
• Light Brown Sugar
  • Hint of molasses for more flavor and moisture.
• Sourdough Discard
  • Discard is an incredibly versatile ingredient that tenderizes baked goods.
  • If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week following my how-to guide. See my top sourdough starter tips and other sourdough discard recipes.
• Eggs: For structure, richness, and moisture.
• Yogurt
  • Use plain whole-milk yogurt for the most flavor and richness.
  • Substitute with sour cream.
  • Depending on the thickness of your yogurt (such as Greek yogurt), you may need to add ⅓ cup of whole milk to the recipe.
• Vanilla Extract, for warmth and aromatics.
• Cranberries
  • I recommend fresh cranberries for this recipe. However, you can also use frozen cranberries.
  • Roughly chop the cranberries and the seeds are so small you don’t need to discard or remove them.
  • Another favorite cranberry recipe is my Sourdough Gingerbread Cake with Cranberries.
• Powdered Sugar, for the glaze

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👨‍🍳 How to Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper with a few inches of overhang.

Add the sugars and orange zest to a bowl. Use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugars to release oils and become fragrant.

Now, cream the softened butter and sugar together for a few minutes in a the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, and the sugar no longer feels grainy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while mixing to ensure it gets fully creamed.

Then, add one egg at a time until each one is fully incorporated into the batter.

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

On low speed, mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the yogurt, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard last.

If you’re using a very thick yogurt like Greek yogurt, you may add ⅓ cup of whole milk to the wet ingredients if it seems too thick.

3. Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a separate mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.