Holy moly cinnamon cranberry orange jumble loaf is where it’s at. I don’t know if you’ve picked up what I’ve been putting down, but I love The Great British Bake Off (aka Baking Show in the States). And you might also know that I love cinnamon rolls but I don’t love making them. I find this jumble loaf much more forgiving and I am a huge fan of the original recipe in the cookbook. But, I have a confession to make. I do not like cooked raisins, Sam I am.
So, instead of raisins, (and yes, I know some of you will say, Kristi, you nut how are those that different? but whatever, they are to me…so, indulge me, you get a delicious recipe out of the deal, right?) I use dried cranberries or dried black currants in just about every baking recipe that calls for raisins. So that’s what I’ve done here. And, of course, I’ve added my usual gluten-free and sourdough flair to the mix, too. Winner! And let me tell you. It is fantastic. And beautiful. Did I mention it’s gorgeous? You’re going to want to serve this at like every brunch get-together ever. Enjoy.
Note: if you don’t have sourdough starter, just add another 1/2 cup each of your flour and milk, and be sure to use the yeast.
Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Jumble Loaf
Ingredients
For the cranberry dough:
450g gluten-free OR strong white bread flour
227g sourdough starter
7g fast-action dried yeast (optional, only use this if you’re not sure your starter is jazzy enough)
7g sea salt
2 teaspoons caster (white) sugar
125 ml milk
50g unsalted butter, diced
1 medium free-range egg, room temperature
75g dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon orange zest
For the filling:
65g light brown muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon gluten-free OR strong white bread flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon milk, for brushing
Essential kit:
You will need 1 x 900g loaf tin, about 26 x 12.5 x 7.5cm, greased with butter and lined with a long strip of baking paper. You will also need an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Method
To make the dough, put the flour, yeast, sourdough starter, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook). Mix thoroughly.
Gently warm the milk with the butter until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm – your little finger should feel comfy dipped in the mixture. Add the egg and beat with a fork just to combine.
Add the milky liquid to the flour mixture and work everything together with your hand (or the mixer on the lowest speed) to make a very soft but not sticky dough. If there are dry crumbs in the bowl or the dough seems dry and stiff, and hard to bring together, add more milk (or water) a tablespoon at a time; if the dough sticks to your fingers or the side of the bowl, work in a little more flour.
Turn the dough onto a worktop lightly dusted with flour and knead thoroughly for about 8 minutes until the dough is silky smooth and feels very pliable and stretchy. Scatter the cranberries and orange zest over the dough and gently knead for about 2 minutes (slightly less if using the mixer) until evenly distributed.
Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or lid. Leave to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough to deflate it before turning it onto a lightly floured worktop. Flour your fingers and, without kneading, gently pat out the dough to a rectangle roughly 2 cm thick. Cover it lightly with a damp tea towel and leave it to rest for 5 minutes — this will make it easier to roll out.
Meanwhile, for the filling, mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Flour a rolling pin, then roll out the dough to a neat rectangle of 30 x 40 cm. Brush the dough with milk, then sprinkle the filling evenly over the damp surface, leaving a 1cm border clear at one long side. Roll up the dough, like a Swiss roll, from the other long side, then pinch the seam firmly together to seal.
With a large sharp knife, slice the roll of dough across into 14 rounds. Set the slices cut side up and cut them in half to make half-moon shapes.
Arrange a layer of dough pieces in the lined tin, dough-side down. The rest of the dough pieces can be set on top in a higgledy-piggledy jumble — make sure the pieces are touching but don’t press them in. Don’t flatten or neaten the top; let it look a bit lumpy.
Slip the tin into a large plastic bag, slightly inflate it so the plastic won’t stick to the dough as it rises, and secure the ends. Leave the dough to rise at normal room temperature for about 1 hour until doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
Uncover the loaf and brush the bumpy top very gently with milk. Bake in the heated oven for about 35 minutes until the loaf is a good golden brown. To test if it is thoroughly cooked, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the bread, then lift it out using the ends of the paper strip. Peel off the paper and tap the underside of the loaf – it should sound hollow. If it doesn’t, put the paper back in place and the loaf back in the tin and bake for a further 5 minutes, then test again.
Cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices.
Hungry for More Bake Off?
This jumble loaf is sooo good. If you love this, check out the other bake-off recipes I’ve made, like Honey Loaf Cake, English Ginger Biscuits, and Blueberry Lemon Scones.
Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Jumble Loaf
Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Jumble Loaf, adapted from The Great British Bake Off
Ingredients
- For the cranberry dough:
- 450g gluten-free OR strong white bread flour
- 227g sourdough starter
- 7g fast-action dried yeast (optional, only use this if you're not sure your starter is jazzy enough)
- 7g sea salt
- 2 teaspoons caster (white) sugar
- 125 ml milk
- 50g unsalted butter, diced
- 1 medium free-range egg, room temperature
- 75g dried cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- For the filling:
- 65g light brown muscovado sugar
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free OR strong white bread flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon milk, for brushing
- Essential kit:
- You will need 1 x 900g loaf tin, about 26 x 12.5 x 7.5cm, greased with butter and lined with a long strip of baking paper. You will also need an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Instructions
- To make the dough, put the flour, yeast, sourdough starter, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook). Mix thoroughly.
- Gently warm the milk with the butter until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm – your little finger should feel comfy dipped in the mixture. Add the egg and beat with a fork just to combine.
- Add the milky liquid to the flour mixture and work everything together with your hand (or the mixer on the lowest speed) to make a very soft but not sticky dough. If there are dry crumbs in the bowl or the dough seems dry and stiff, and hard to bring together, add more milk (or water) a tablespoon at a time; if the dough sticks to your fingers or the side of the bowl, work in a little more flour.
- Turn the dough onto a worktop lightly dusted with flour and knead thoroughly for about 8 minutes until the dough is silky smooth and feels very pliable and stretchy. Scatter the cranberries and orange zest over the dough and gently knead for about 2 minutes (slightly less if using the mixer) until evenly distributed.
- Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or lid. Leave to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough to deflate it before turning it onto a lightly floured worktop. Flour your fingers and, without kneading, gently pat out the dough to a rectangle roughly 2 cm thick. Cover it lightly with a damp tea towel and leave it to rest for 5 minutes — this will make it easier to roll out.
- Meanwhile, for the filling, mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Flour a rolling pin, then roll out the dough to a neat rectangle of 30 x 40 cm. Brush the dough with milk, then sprinkle the filling evenly over the damp surface, leaving a 1cm border clear at one long side. Roll up the dough, like a Swiss roll, from the other long side, then pinch the seam firmly together to seal.
- With a large sharp knife, slice the roll of dough across into 14 rounds. Set the slices cut side up and cut them in half to make half-moon shapes.
- Arrange a layer of dough pieces in the lined tin, dough-side down. The rest of the dough pieces can be set on top in a higgledy-piggledy jumble — make sure the pieces are touching but don’t press them in. Don’t flatten or neaten the top; let it look a bit lumpy.
- Slip the tin into a large plastic bag, slightly inflate it so the plastic won’t stick to the dough as it rises, and secure the ends. Leave the dough to rise at normal room temperature for about 1 hour until doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Uncover the loaf and brush the bumpy top very gently with milk. Bake in the heated oven for about 35 minutes until the loaf is a good golden brown. To test if it is thoroughly cooked, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the bread, then lift it out using the ends of the paper strip. Peel off the paper and tap the underside of the loaf – it should sound hollow. If it doesn’t, put the paper back in place and the loaf back in the tin and bake for a further 5 minutes, then test again.
- Cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices.