The Costco Cranberry Walnut Bread is back and it is as tasty as ever! This is a seasonal bread from the Costco bakery but it freezes well so if this type of bread is your jam then now is the time to stock up!
Ingredients
Slicing open the loaf reveals that it is loaded with dried cranberries and walnut pieces.
The bread contains both wheat flour and malted barley flour along with whole rye grains and rye flour. According to the King Arthur Baking Company, the use of rye produces a bread that is “nutty, earthy, and slightly malty……It lends itself to pairings with fruits and spices, and is also a natural fit with chocolate and nuts.”
The other ingredients are your basic “bread stuff” including things like sugar, salt, yeast and sunflower oil.
I did not see any preservatives listed on the label so I suggest storing the bread in the refrigerator if you want it to last more than a few days.
Slicing and Storage Information
This is the first item from the Costco bakery I have seen which provides freezing and slicing instructions.
Freezing the Bread for Storage
To freeze the bread you need to place it in a sealed plastic bag and put it in the freezer. The bag the bread comes in is pretty thin so I would suggest transferring it to a large Ziploc bag for freezing.
To heat the bread after freezing Costco says to:
- Remove the bread from the freezer and allow to thaw.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Bake the bread directly on the oven rack for 20 minutes
- Allow the bread to cool and serve
Slicing the Bread
- To slice and serve the bread Costco says to:
- Slice the loaf in half
- Place the loaf, cut side down, on a cutting board
- Slice the half loaf into eight slices
Taste Test!
I sliced off some pieces of the bread and put them in the toaster. As soon as the toast popped up it was slathered with butter and topped with strawberry jam.
The bread was awesome!
I loved the combination of textures and the layers of crunchiness. The crust was delightfully crunchy and was followed by the crunchiness of the toasted walnuts.
The bread was earthy and rustic enough to stand up to the strawberry preserves and did not get lost in the sea of flavors. The dried cranberries looked beautiful and brought the whole party together and kind of reminds me of Thanksgiving!
This is a rustic, almost heavy bread that makes for a hearty breakfast.
I prefer using Costco’s Artisan rolls for sandwiches but this bread would be great when paired with cranberry chicken salad.
Calories
Two ounces of the bread is considered a single serving and has the following nutritional information:
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 260mg
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Protein: 5g
There aren’t any surprises here as the nutritional information is pretty consistent with a loaf of bread!
Price at Costco
The loaf is Item Number 1357244 and is technically called a Cranberry Walnut Round. The bread is found in the bakery section of the warehouse and is unrefrigerated.
The bread currently costs $8.99 which is about $0.30 per ounce.
The cranberry walnut bread it’s a the only bread I like and Costco doesn’t carry it any more…