Tangy Cranberry Bread

This bread machine recipe turns cranberry juice and dried cranberries into a gorgeous loaf with minimal effort.

Orange marmalade adds citrus brightness while the cranberry juice provides natural sweetness and that signature tangy bite. Just add ingredients to your bread machine, press start, and walk away while it does all the kneading and rising.

The result is a tender, slightly sweet bread with jewel-like cranberry pieces scattered throughout. Slice it thick for morning toast, serve it alongside holiday dinners, or gift a loaf wrapped in cellophane with a festive ribbon.

Bread Machine Tips

• Add liquids first, then dry ingredients, with yeast on top (check your machine’s manual as some prefer reverse order)
• Use room temperature ingredients for best rising (cold cranberry juice can slow yeast activation)
• If your machine has a fruit/nut cycle, add cranberries at the beep to prevent them from getting crushed
• Choose the light crust setting to prevent over-browning from the sugar content
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing or it’ll be gummy inside

Variations

• Walnut Cranberry: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts with the dried cranberries for nutty crunch
• Lemon Cranberry: Swap orange marmalade for lemon curd and add 1 tsp lemon zest
• Spiced Holiday Bread: Add ½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp nutmeg for warm spice notes