Cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
Sourdough cinnamon raisin bread packs all the warm fall flavors into a single loaf. You can make this artisan bread at home with just a few simple ingredients.
Why you will love this recipe
- Cinnamon raisin sourdough bread has the perfect balance with the sweet raisins and the earthy, crunchy chopped walnuts.
- This recipe has everything we love about fall flavors.
- Freshly baked, the bread has an amazing crunchy crust and a sweet, soft center.
Ingredient notes
Flour: I recommend using bread flour for the softest, fluffiest sourdough cinnamon raisin bread. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which is key to the best texture.
Sourdough starter: To make sure your dough will rise and proof properly, you need an active sourdough starter. That’s why it is important to feed your starter before you begin. A lot of recipes tell you that you can’t bake bread with a hungry starter, but we disagree. You can, but the bulk rise will take longer, so while you can use discard, it is best to use a bubbly starter for this recipe. If you don’t have one, I suggest looking at our guide on how to make a sourdough starter.
Nuts: We’ve added 1/4 cup of nuts to the filling. For the photos, we used almonds, but walnuts are also a great option!
Raisins: To add a touch of sweetness to the bread, we add raisins. Soak them in hot water before adding them to the dough to make them softer. If you don’t like raisins, you can substitute them with currants, and sultanas.
How to make sourdough cinnamon raisin bread
On day one, you start by mixing the flour, salt, water, and sourdough starter. This will take about 5-10 minutes. Let the dough rest for two hours before you start with the stretch and fold.
Place the dough and cover the bowl with a clean towel for the bulk rise. This process typically takes 9 hours, but it can vary depending on the temperature.
After bulk fermenting, you stretch the dough into a large square and cover the dough with cinnamon, nuts, and raisins. Shape the dough and let it rest while you preheat your oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes and let it cool completely before serving.
Baker schedule
Our tips for this recipe
- Soak the raisins in hot water before you begin. Soaking them in hot water or rum makes the raisins softer and prevents them from pulling moisture out of the dough.
- Measure out your ingredients on a kitchen scale. A kitchen scale is more accurate than cups and will result in a better loaf and consistent results every time you make this recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Cinnamon can slow down the fermenting process. That’s why we always fold in the cinnamon after the bulk ferment.
No, but dried raisins will attract moisture from your dough, which can result in dry bread.
Absolutely! If you’re making small raisin bread, I recommend adding the cinnamon, raisins, and chopped nuts to the dough instead of folding them in.
Storage
Fresh cinnamon raisin sourdough bread can be stored at room temperature for two to three days. Never store bread in the fridge because it will become dry. If you want to enjoy your bread at a later date, you can keep it in the freezer. Frozen, your bread will stay fresh for about six months, but keep in mind that the crust can become soft.
Remove the bread from the freezer and allow it to thaw on the counter. If you want to restore the crispy crust, you can place it in a preheated oven until it becomes crispy again.
More easy sourdough bread recipes
Cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour 500 grams
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 200 grams
- 2 teaspoons salt 13 grams
- 1 cup active sourdough starter 200 grams
- 1 cup water 240 ml, luke warm
For the cinnamon raisin filling
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
Day one:
- Always start with feeding your starter a few hours before you make your dough to make sure it is active. You can use the discard to make one of our discard recipes!
- Mix your water and starter and add the flour and salt. Keep mixing until you have a smooth dough and cover it with a clean towel.
- Let the dough rise for two hours.
- Stretch and fold your dough. You do this by picking op a corner of the dough with wet hands and pull it over. Repeat this four times.
- Cover the dough and set it aside at room temperature for the bulk ferment.
Day two:
- Stretch the dough into a large square.
- Divide the cinnamon, chopped walnuts and raisins on top and fold the sides of the dough into the center.
- Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center and fold it in half.
- Pull the dough towards you and place your cinnamon raisin sourdough bread seam down in a well dusted banneton and cover the bread with flour.
- Let the dough rise for another three hours.
- Preheat your oven to 450 F (230 C).
- Transfer your dough to a lined baking tray and score the dough.
- Place a heatproof bowl of water on the tray and bake the bread for 20 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to 380 F (195 C) and remove the water.
- Bake for another 20-30 minutes until your bread is done.
