Cranberry and Pecan Bread

Ingredients

• 380 ml (1 and a half cups) Lukewarm water
• 15 grams Fresh yeast cubes
• 400 grams (4 cups) Whole wheat flour
• 500 grams (3 and a half cups) White flour
• 100 grams (3/4 cup) Coarse cornmeal
• 1 flat tablespoon Fine salt
• 1 bottle (330 ml) White beer
• 100 grams (about 1 cup) Halved pecans
• 100 grams (about 2/3 cup) Dried cranberries

Preparation

Mix the yeast with warm water in a small bowl until the yeast dissolves and you get a smooth liquid with no lumps.
In the mixer bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, white flour, cornmeal and salt.
Add the yeast water to the center of the flour bowl, add the beer and mix, then knead until you get a smooth, even dough, for at least 5 minutes.
Add the pecans and cranberries and knead until they are incorporated into the dough.
Let the dough rise for the first rise, about an hour and a half, with the bowl covered with a clean, damp towel (dampen the towel slightly with tap water).

After an hour and a half, deflate the dough, divide it into 2 portions and shape them into loaves, round or elongated. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and leave them for a second rise, about an hour, with the loaves covered with the same damp towel. I divided them into 3 small elongated aluminum pans lined with parchment paper, so that the bread loaves are easy to release from the pans (simply from experience and previous complications).

Preheat the oven to 230°C and place a heatproof dish filled with water on its bottom rack.

After 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 220°C, put in the pan with the bread loaves and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the dish with the water (careful! use oven mitts) and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
Flip the loaves, lower the temperature to 170°C and bake for exactly 35 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.