Orange Sage Bread

By
Elizabeth Yetter
Elizabeth Yetter
Bread expert Elizabeth Yetter has been baking bread for more than 20 years, bringing her Pennsylvania Dutch Country experiences to life through recipes.
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Updated on 10/1/20
cranberry orange bread
Leah Maroney
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Proofing: 90 mins
Total: 2 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 loaf
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
49 Calories
2g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 49
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 312mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 1g
Calcium 20mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Orange sage bread is a lovely, light bread that can be sliced, toasted, and served with orange marmalade for breakfast; consider serving it with fresh fruit and cheese for an outdoor lunch. This recipe is easy enough for beginner bread bakers to make and joy for more experienced bread bakers. The ground sage and touch of orange gives the bread a sophisticated flavor that everyone can enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups bread flour (approximately)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, add the orange juice, water, vegetable oil, grated orange rind, sugar, yeast, sage, and salt.

  3. Mix until the yeast and sugar are dissolved.

  4. Mix in enough flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.

  5. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 5 minutes. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.

  6. Put the dough in a greased bowl, turning it so all sides are lightly greased.

  7. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

  8. Punch down the dough.

  9. Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and quickly knead the dough for about 2 minutes to get the air bubbles out.

  10. Shape the dough into a loaf.

  11. Place the loaf in a greased 9- by 5- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

  12. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.

  13. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

  14. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

  15. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • You can use this dough to make braided rolls or swirl rolls.
  • When grating the orange zest, make sure to only grate off the colored part of the peel. The white part, called the pith, is bitter and will impart this flavor to the bread.
  • Keep yeast stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. Heat, moisture, and air kills the yeast and prevents bread dough from rising.
  • To keep the bread soft, store it in a plastic bag.
  • Store flour properly to keep it from spoiling and from getting bugs.
  • Bread flour has a higher amount of gluten than all-purpose flour. This means that bread made with bread flour will rise higher than bread made with all-purpose flour. You can make your own bread flour by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten to each cup of all-purpose flour you use in your bread recipe.

Recipe Variations

  • Instead of using sage, you can substitute rosemary or thyme, as these herbs also blend nicely with the taste of orange.
  • And if you would prefer to use lemon in place of the orange, just keep in mind that the bread will be missing some of its sweetness; you can pair almost any herb with lemon for this bread to work.