Bread Baker's Appentice Challenge (Week 11) Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread

Peter Reinhart and I have a very different idea of what it means to celebrate. Now, keep in mind that I've never even met Peter Reinhart, let alone celebrated with him, but I'm basing my statement on substantiated evidence. In The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Reinhart has a recipe for Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread.

Now, I like bread as much as the next person (maybe even more, as evident by the fact that I'm doing this challenge in the first place) but when I celebrate, I want to be celebrating with a rich, decadent dessert like my favorite chocolate cake.

I admit my initial skepticism but when I pulled the finished loaf from the oven, those hard feelings were instantly replaced by awe: why had I not started baking braided breads sooner? Not only are they elegant and impressive but the fat, floppy braids hide mistakes quite well.

Now, I've never been accused of being perfect, but I dare you to tell me where the mistakes are in that loaf of bread. (And since I moderate comments, if you do tell me, I'll probably just delete you. The world will be none the wiser).

While I probably won't start baking Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread instead of birthday cakes, I'm glad I took another go at braiding bread. It was a fun recipe to work with. And if you have a celebration that calls for bread? Let me know and I'll be there.

When you have an occasion that calls for a special dinner or dessert, what's your favorite way to celebrate?

Comments

[elra]

That is very pretty bread.

[Daryl]

That is the most beautiful, professional looking bread I have ever seen. I am amazed and thrilled that you have such talent.I bet it tastes as good as it looks.

[brandi]

this bread looks amazing.

we love grilling whenever we can - it gives such great flavor, it can be made as fancy as you want, and it's easy!

or going out to our favorite fancy place is nice sometimes, too :)

[Natalie]

wow, i would love to be able to make bread like that. you're making me hungry!! :)

[sunny]

i see no mistakes in that bread, it looks like a work of art!! :)
last year we made a special dinner for my parent's 30th anniversary... we cooked prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. so good!

[Jenn@slim-shoppin]

That looks totally professional! Nice job!

I would be excited too!!

[grace]

frankly, it's almost enough just to look at such a gorgeous creation, but i wouldn't mind eating a bit, too. nicely done!

[Eralda]

Your bread looks beautiful! You should be proud. I have yet to attempt bread making. it intimidates me to no end. But it is posts like these that inspire me to go into my kitchen and give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Kelly]

Beautiful loaf. Now I want to make it again because I'm remembering how freakin' good it was.

Well done!

[Frieda]

I see a beautiful, shiny, nicely braided loaf of bread. That's a reason to celebrate in itself~ great job!

[Jen (Running With Cake)]

Hi Maris - Mistakes in the bread? I think not! The bread looks absolutely AMAZING! So warm and very Fall-ish. I wonder if there's a braided bread recipe with chocolate?? :-) I just borrow a bread maker from my in-laws and am so excited to use it for the first time. I know it's not the same thing as making your own braided bread in the oven, but it's a start. Keep on baking!

[Christina]

That bread looks so good!

I'm a trifle person for celebrations. Mainly because they're so easy to make and still taste so good!

[kate]

Excellent! That looks terrific. Cran/walnut is such a classic combination. I'm always impressed with your bread efforts.

Celebrations are often pretty low key for us. It's always a special meal at the request of the celebrant, maybe a trip to our favorite scratch ice cream parlor. Often for me, celebration is found staring at the lake where our cabin resides. That's enough, sometimes. And super easy.

[Kerstin]

It does look perfect, I'm impressed!

[Carissa]

that looks delicious! I love cranberries and I love walnuts so I would be totally down with this braided masterpiece! :)

[Amber]

Perfect and beautiful. Does that sheen on top come from an egg-wash glaze?

[Erin]

WOW! Impressive!

[Paula]

The bread looks lovely but definitely not my idea of a "celebration", lol! In my case, I think it would have to be strawberry pavlova. Shop-bought, of course!

[Jamie]

Stunning bread, Maris! I love cranberry walnut bread but never made one so gorgeous! I certainly could celebrate with this bread - maybe this bread for breakfast and your chocolate cake later in the day?

I celebrate with this:
http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com/2009/01/blow-out-candles-and-make-wish.html

[Velva]

I love to cook but, can't bake to save my life. So, you will not receive any baking bread tips from me :-) What I will say is that the bread looks absolutely stunning! All I would need is a good cup of coffee and I could go to my happy place along with a big chunk of that bread.

[Chrissy]

This looks delicious! Please give me a piece immediately. :-) As far as I'm concerned, any celebration calls for bread - I don't need too much of an excuse. And Cranberry Walnut bread sounds just perfect for the beginning of September. (Since I seem to think it's officially fall, despite what friends and family keep telling me.)

I suppose in my mind, most celebrations would generally call for a dessert. I have no one fall back, though - I've celebrated with everything from pignoli cookies to cupcakes to cheesecake with homemade caramel to eclairs. It's hard to go wrong with dessert. :-)

[Lynda]

This bread looks absolutely delicious - a perfect autumn bread with the cranberries and walnuts.

[Lisa]

OK, the English Muffins, Pizza and chocolate cookies look amazing, but this bread caught my eye. What a beautiful job - it looks better than Peter's photo in the book, seriously!

On another note, I have something for you at my nlog. You can grab it here..

http://lisamichele.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/derek-jeter-passes-lou-gehrig-as-the-all-time-leader-in-yankee-hits-and-chocolate-and-zucchini-isnt-just-a-great-blog/