If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby (because their almond paste is fantastic), you can easily find it online (Amazon is a lifesaver). Or if you are feeling homemade, you can make the paste by hand!! It’s totally doable. | If it’s another brand of dried cherries, before adding them to the dough, I like to soak them in warm water for a few minutes—just enough to soften them so they don’t pull moisture from the bread. | I like to bake it in a cast-iron Dutch oven, which traps steam and helps create that crisp, golden crust. I also love this loaf in my double tin method in these tins.