No Knead Walnut Raisin Bread

walnut raisin loaf

I made this recipe twice before I decided to share it with you. I thought my first attempt was a fluke because there is no way could I have made bread this good. Second time around, it was proved true. I did it!  I made another angelic loaf with a crispy crunchy crust jeweled with oooey gooey raisins and toasty chunks of walnuts to boot.  It’s so good that it makes me want to cry. It also makes me want to continue eating it and I might have to unbutton my jeans while I type this.  Yes there are crumbs on my keyboard. Shut up!

Ever heard of no knead bread?  I am pretty sure you have!  It’s been a sensation for the past few years on the internet and all across the country.  I made my first no-knead loaf before I started blogging and was kind of obsessed.  But then out of nowhere my fixation fizzled and I didn’t make a loaf for two years. I think it might have been that low-carb diet I was on. Ridiculous!  Recently I saw Jim Lahey (the master behind the No-Knead method) on the Martha Stewart Show demonstrating a carrot walnut loaf from his new cookbook and my love for no knead bread was rekindled.  The plain loaf is great but it always seemed like it needed something.  I loved topping the bread with salted butter & jam or using it for sandwiches, but I was never satisfied with eating it on its own. So when my brother bought me his new book, I was stoked to see a bunch of recipes that helped boost the flavor of the bread.

I started with one of my most favorite kind of bread-Walnut Raisin. Good idea, huh? The raisins get super plump and you can taste a subtle hint of cinnamon with each bite. The crust is glorious; something you’d get from a bakery and the crunch is insane. The dough on the inside is soft and moist; a perfect contrast with all the crunchies.  I was proud to present this loaf to my family who are serious carbophiles.  We crushed that bread and left a trail of crumbs on the cutting board. It’s so easy and that’s where my fear comes in. I might be making this on a weekly basis. I even have timers set on my cellphone for the rises. Dangerous!  Anyone have a good elastic pant source you wanna share?

Here’s the no knead bread time line that works best for me:

-6pm make dough, set aside

-10am next day first rise is done, start second rise

-11:30am heat the oven with the dutch oven inside

-12pm bake bread!

-1:00pm you have fresh hot bread!

Let’s get started!

You will need walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, bread flour, yeast, salt & pepper.

walnut raisin fun!

Throw it all in the bowl. Including the yeast!

yeast addition

Add water. Stir for about 30 seconds. If it’s too dry, add like 2 tablespoons more water.

in comes the water

Cover it up and set aside.

see you in 18 hours!

After 18 hours of rising, you get this!

risen overnight

Form dough into a ball.  Place it on a kitchen towel covered in wheat bran for the second rise.

after the first rise

After about 2 hours it looks like this. Now it’s ready to go into the dutch oven that’s been heating up.

about to go into the oven

Bake for 30 minutes with the cover on. Then 15 minutes with it off.

slicing

You get this glorious loaf!

topped with chevre & honey

I topped my first piece with crumbled chevre & honey.  YUM!  It’s killer toasted with butter for breakfast too!

Pan co’Santi – Walnut Bread

recipe- The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey

Yield: One 10-inch round loaf; 1 1/2 pounds
Equipment: A 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-quart heavy pot

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
  • pinch fresh ground pepper
  • wheat bran, cornmeal or additional flour for dusting  (I used wheat bran)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, raisins, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, yeast, and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. If it’s not really sticky to the touch, mix in another tablespoon or two of water. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place the covered 4 1/2 – to 5 1/2 -quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more (It took me about 15). Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

  • sara

    I seriously cannot wait to try this. Thanks for posting. You’ve been on a roll lately with great recipes!

  • Honey

    Oh. My. Gosh. Looks freaking amazing! Now I have to go get a Dutch oven.. 🙂

  • Rebecca

    This looks so great that I’ve actually started making it…except you forgot to include how much water or walnuts in the recipe ingredients!

    • Tracy

      whoa! that’s kind of an oversight huh?! That’s what I get for copying the recipe from the web. It’s been updated. Thanks for letting me know!

  • Dana

    OK, it’s time. You have officially pushed me over the edge. Next week I’m taking the plunge and I might just make this one first. Great job!

  • kickpleat

    Okay, i’m making this. I’m totally sold on this and I’ve got pecans (no walnuts sadly) at the ready.

    • Tracy

      yes! let me know how it tastes cuz the second i’m out of walnuts, I have pecans as a back up here too!

      • Angelina

        Hello,

        I made my first loaf of no-knead bread based on your recipe, but substituted the walnuts with pecans, and used a mix of raisins and currants. Taste-wise, I like it but I didn’t like the gummy, dense inside which may have resulted from my substituting the bread flour with whole wheat bread flour 🙁

        Here’s my take: http://www.yshue.com/?p=681

        • Tracy

          oh no! If you try whole wheat flour, you should probably replace 1/3 the amount of bread flour with it. Too much can produce the gummy/dense experience!

  • Rebecca

    Thanks Tracy, I can’t wait to taste this when it’s done tomorrow! Your photos look awesome.

  • Julia Harts the Man

    Did you see that smittenkitchen linked to you today about your kale chips??? Cool!

  • jenifer

    that looks insanely yummy.

  • julo

    I know, right? I tried this recipe a few month ago and LOVED it! I ate it with cara cara orange curd and just about died of deliciousness. You are so right about the crust. It’s super crunchy, just as walnut bread should be! I had forgotten all about it. I think it’s time to try making it again!

  • jenny

    good god almighty. as soon as my gums heal, i am making this. and i will eat the whole thing in one day, dammit!

    seriously. we have an amazing bakery here, and one of my favorite things to get on wednesdays is the walnut raisin baguette. YUM.

    • Tracy

      i think i got 3/4 of the way through the loaf today- wishing someone would wire my mouth SHUT cuz i have to stop.

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  • jenny

    just shared with the mister.
    his wheels are turning. i gave him The Bread Bible 2 years ago (first year was a lotta bread bakin’ – second year, notta loaf!) and i think he is inspired.

    WHOLE LOTTA BAKIN’ happening in our house this weekend, mama!!!!! owwwww!

    • Tracy

      omg get matty to make you a loaf STAT! He is gonna loaf this technique! Omg i just typed loaf instead of love. I am seriously not going to delete that!

  • jenny

    i know you know how to use google, but in case you don’t have it, i’s savin’ ya’s a step:

    http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0393057941

    and I DO recommend it.

  • Flo

    I made the no knead bread before, (which was AMAZING) but not the walnut/raisin variety…looks DELICIOUS.
    I don’t love raisins, but I am rather obsessed with cranberries… if I substituted, then it would be exactly like the bread they serve turkey/brie sandwiches on at the local deli. Mmmmmmmmm.
    Can’t wait!

  • Rebecca

    Hi Tracy,

    Just reporting back on the bread. It was a HUGE hit! I realised I had no walnuts, so chucked in some ground fennel seeds. Oh, and my dutch oven is only little too, so I made two half loaves. We loved it so much I have more on the side waiting for tomorrow, thanks so much, you’ve seriously rocked our bread world over in London!

  • jen

    i love everything jim lahey. it looks beautiful!

  • Clever Karen

    Loved this recipe! Made it twice. Here is my twist with cranberries and orange peel: http://cleverkaren.blogspot.com/2010/04/no-knead-orange-cranberry-bread.html

  • Ing

    Tried this recipe a few days ago and it turned out fantastic — the best raisin bread I’ve eaten. Thank you so much for posting this.

    Ing

    • Tracy

      so glad you enjoyed and tried it!! it’s pretty fantastic- thanks to jim lahey! i am totally hooked!

  • jen

    making this tonight; for lunch tomorrow. naturally.
    seriously cannot wait.

  • How To Eat A Cupcake

    I bet this makes AWESOME french toast! I <3 no-kneading! Lol

  • Whimsical Winston

    This bread look delicious! honestly don’t care much for raisins, but cranberries would prob. work.

  • GrammaSusan

    This looks very yummy, but I know it would be even more amazing with Watkins famous Cinnamon!

  • Michelle

    Would it not work if I don’t have neither a Dutch oven nor a Pyrex dish? I only have a tall metal pot :/ And also is the wheat bran essential to this recipe?

  • Junie

    How should the recipe change if I wanted to make these into dinner sized rolls? I’m a fan of these at Lahey’s Sullivan St. Bakery. Should I just mold these into rolls and place them on a baking sheet uncovered? Thanks so much.

    • Tracy

      Good question! The trick to getting the crust is the dutch oven technique! I am not sure how it would work if you had individual rolls!! If you figure it out, please let me know!

  • natalyn

    Well, as someone who just made her first no-knead loaf of whole wheat bread last night (using a different book), I think I maaaaay be slightly obsessed with baking bread. And since I like raisins and nuts in bread, I maaaay be trying this pretty soon.

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  • Olivia

    I had a problem with the first rise and letting it sit over night.
    When I checked it in the morning the top of the dough was crusty and dried out!
    How did you get yours to stay moist?
    Should I cover it with a damp towel next time instead of a dry one?

    • Tracy

      This happened on one of my batches. There was a slight crust on the edges. I just mixed it in with the rest of the dough and on the second rise, it rehydrated. Maybe next time put a dam towel on top and then wrap the top of that with plastic wrap. Let me know if that changes things!

  • Olivia

    Thanks for the suggestion, I might try that next time even though I went ahead and mixed in the dried out part on the second rise and baked the bread and it turned out great!
    I took it out of the oven an hour ago and can’t keep myself from going back for more, it’ll be gone soon. 🙂

    • Tracy

      oh fantastic!!! So glad it worked out for you! Thanks for trying…and boy do I know how addictive it is!!!

  • Lizzy

    Came across your post and tried this as my first ever homemade bread. Amazing!!! Thanks for sharing!

  • LatinCook

    I tried this recipe and my bread did not rise. I used 1/2 teaspoon of Saf-Instant Yeast. I am wondering what I did wrong?

    • Tracy

      weird! did it expire? did you use too much salt? I’ve never used SAF before.

      • LatinCook

        No, the yeast is not expired, I just checked. I also used the correct amount of salt. Could it be the stainless steel? I mixed and kept the dough in a stainless steel bowl.

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  • Jessica

    Hi Tracy

    I have been craving raisin walnut bread since my aunt brought some home from the bakery where she works. I have made no-knead several times and your blog came up when I did a google search for raisin walnut no-knead. I made this one with 2 c bread flour, 2/3 c rye flour and 1/3 c almond flour. I’m very into the crunchy, hearty breads. This did not disappoint. I think it would be better with a whole grain other than rye – that is a little bitter, but it is still delicious. Thanks for the recipe! I’m checking out the rest of your blog.

  • russ

    I use stainless steel bowls all the time, that is not a problem.

    I ALWAYS cover the bowl with saran, so it never dries out, not a towel.

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  • san

    what do you mean by cook with the cover on? then dont?

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  • Catherine

    Made this with hazelnuts and cranberries. Used cornmeal on the outside. My flours were whole wheat, spelt and graham. Delish! Thx for the inspiration

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  • Martine

    Hi there! Sub’ed the raisins for cranberries to make a TJ’s-inspired loaf! I managed to make it gluten-free after one failure using a tip from gluten-free girl (soda water instead of regular water – genius). Bonus – gluten-free means you don’t have to do the first 18 rise – you can have fresh bread in under 3 hours! Thanks for a great recipe, it kind of blew my mind how easy it is to make bread. The dutch oven is totally the secret to the amazing crust. (http://nourishandpreserve.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/falling-cranberry-walnut-bread-with-pumpkin-cream-cheese-gluten-free-vegan/)

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  • bamboo cases

    Hello, I just dropped by to learn about this blog. It looks really interesting and I
    enjoyed reading it, thank you for the good stuff!

  • John

    I substituted the raisins with dried cranberries and ate it toasted with honey and goat cheese spread on top. It was pretty amazing. 🙂

  • Regina

    OMG, it was super easy and the bread turned out so delicious and it looked just like your picture. I like my raisin bread slightly sweet, so I added 1/2 cup of sugar and doubled the amount of raisins and walnuts.
    I put some craisins as well. All the fruits and nuts were evenly distributed.

  • Jess

    I make this all the time in the quicker, 4 hour version: use an entire packet of yeast and the first rise only takes 4 hours. For the second rise, it only requires 30 minutes (while your oven preheats). Makes a loaf identical to the overnight rise, in my opinion — just as delicious, just as perfect a crust, but in 1/4 of the time! You can throw together the dough before breakfast and have fresh-baked bread for lunch.

    I set my oven to 450, though, but perhaps that’s just because mine runs a bit hot!

    • Tara

      Thank you! This is what I was looking for..got a last minute idea to make this and need it done tonight if possible…will try this ‍♀️

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  • Kylie

    Oh my, I think I may have found my new favourite bread! I was a bit worried about the cinnamon in the actual dough as I’ve heard it kills yeast if left too long BUT my dough rose just fine. I used half whole wheat bread flour and half all purpose flour and it came out nice and fluffy. For my “dutch oven” I used my big stock/spaghetti noodle pot with the lid and it worked out brilliant. The crust is super crunchy, the interior is pillowy soft and loaded with texture from the gooey raisins and rich walnuts. I love this toasted with a thin layer of cream cheese and jam. I may add a touch more salt and a few tablespoons of honey to help it be a bit more flavourful by itself next time though. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

  • Shilpa

    Hi Tracy! Though I follow your blog, I only chanced upon this gem a few days ago. Just knew I had to give it a go immediately! I loved the taste, but I noticed after about 12-13 hours of rising, the dough sort of took on a pinkish purplish tinge. Any idea what that’s about? It looked very exotic, but would be nice to know what happened

  • Bread Fun Recipes

    Wow, Wow your bread looks Awesome!!!! Yummy Yummy in the Tummy

  • Meverly

    Happy Easter! I just made this bread today. The only change I made was I used 2c bread flour and 1c whole wheat flour. It was a hit! The whole family loves it. Can’t wait to make it again.

  • LucyinAust

    Made this delicious bread with some slight changes in timing and ingredients. I had to use a bit more water (2 cups overall) otherwise the dough was too shaggy; I added extra spices (cardamom, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves), 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots and 1/2 cup of currants.
    For a convenient bake time around working … I make the mix one night, put it in the fridge, in the morning I put it out on the kitchen bench, that evening, I do the shape and 2 hour rise … then bake.
    Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos! Such an easy bread to change to particular tastes.

  • Ann

    I make a no knead loaf every week. I just about lasts the whole week (barely). I have tried several different kinds with different results. I use a clay pot (German style) and it comes out great. I also use parchment paper under the loaf for the second rise. It makes it super easy to transfer to the hot pot. I have used many of the bread recipes in the Grit magazine that came out last summer (and are on their web site). I also found a recipe for white bread that only takes 6 hours for the first rise. I just keep experimenting with pots and recipes. Lots of fun. Thanks for saying that pecans would make a good alternative to walnuts. Fortunatley Jim Lahey is an acquaintence of ours and has signed my “My Bread” book.

  • LeeeBee

    Thanks for the recipe. I have made it several times now and although have tweaked it to my taste (don’t we always 😉 this was a great place to start.

  • S

    I just put it together now, lets see what we end up tomorrow, it already smells divine, thanks for the recipe

  • Nadia

    After trying a wonderful nut/raisin bread as part of a cheese platter at a reception last weekend, I was looking for an easy recipe to try. Yours looks fantastic and is so easy to make. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!

  • Sue H

    Question.. Don’t have a heavy pot to bake in, could I use a large Pyrex bowl, with a lid?

  • Cathy

    Hi!

    I have been making the no-knead recipe for 10 years now and have modified it to make it as simple (and delicious) as possible. This is what I have been doing successfully:

    Basic recipe I use:
    – 4 cups of AP flour (I like King Arthur)
    – 1 1/2 tablespoons salt (you can use less, if you want)
    – 1/4 teaspoon yeast (dry or instant)
    – About 2 cups of room temp water

    You mix everything and form the dough (just like the recipe here). You can have your plain rustic bread just like that, or add walnuts, raisins, dates, dried figs,dried apricots, basically total of 1 to 1 1/4 cups of anything you want!

    Let it rise for about 14 hours. (Follow same steps as the recipe on this blog, turn dough for the 2-hour second rise, etc.). When it comes to baking time, no dutch oven is necessary….

    Simply pre-heat oven to 425F, shape your bread however you want it (round, long…) and place it on a baking sheet that has been covered with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake it for 30 minutes and it is done!

    I am currently doing 3 of the recipes aforementioned to give as Christmas Gifts, two of them with Walnuts and chopped dates.

    Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

  • Laura (Untwisted Vintage)

    I made this last week with your instructions and absolutely loved it! I’ll be making this one again.

  • Meg

    My Dutch oven is 7 qt – is this too large? Should I make a larger recipe?

    • Tracy

      I think it should be fine. You’re just creating an oven out of it.

  • Denise

    Tracy, a big hug, honey. You rock. I made the bread today and it’s beyond delicious:) I just want to eat it all in one go.
    Thank you, thank you, thank you girl!

  • Maria Wendy

    Hola Tracy; Años que estoy intentando hacer pan y por fín he encontrado la receta que me empuja a decidirme. Mas fácil imposible .Gracias por compartir. Besitos desde Guadalajara-España

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  • Faith

    Ok I gotta get a Dutch oven!! Do you think a large metal pan would work? Or a casserole of some sort?

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    My loaf just came out of the oven. Can’t wait!

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  • Pam

    My bread is cooking as I’m typing. I’m making cheese fondue for dinner tonight and I think this bread is going to be great for it!

  • Penny

    Could you make this in a 9 x 5 loaf pan? Thanks.

    • Tracy

      I don’t think so! It will be way too big and wouldn’t be at all like this loaf.

  • Kath

    This dough rose beautifully the first rise but then never rose again for the second rise at all. It completely flattened and never rose again even after 2-3 hours.

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