Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
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This is one of my favorite sourdough recipes! The sweet cinnamom is heavenly and stays soft for days. Not only does it taste better than store bought, but the ingredients are better too!
Alterations
- You can add the raisins when you add the cinnamon and sugar instead of in the dough mix. Reduce to a 1/4 cup unsoaked raisins. Sprinkle them on top of the cinnamon sugar filling and then roll up the dough. I tend to like the raisins in the dough since it disperses the sweetness throughout the whole loaf.
- If you want a softer crust, brush the top of the hot baked bread with butter as soon as you take it out of the oven. I usually skip this step, but it is a nice touch.
- For a vegan sourdough cinnamon raisin bread, remove the butter entirely. It will still be soft and fluffly, just a little bit less rich in flavor.
- Add 1 tablespoon flour to cinnamon sugar if you don’t want the juices seeping out. I personally love the taste and look of gooey sweetness coming out of the bread a little bit.
- Replace the raisins with craisins (dried cranberries) for cinnamon craisin bread! The tartness gives the bread a nice punch of flavor. Remember to soak your craisins!
Sugar Replacements
Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar or cane, white sugar easily. Brown sugar definitely tastes the best for this bread.
Honey and maple syrup are a little more difficult. When filling, sprinkle just the cinnamon on the stretched out dough, then measure your honey or maple syrup and drizzle over the dough avoiding the edges.
Sourdough cinnamon sugar bread
I really like this bread when I don’t have or don’t want raisins. Simply take out the raisins from the dough and fill/roll with the cinnamon sugar filling to make a swirl. You can leave it as a swirl or cut the dough down the middle and then twist the two sections to expose the cinnamon sugar filling.
You can also add the cinnamon and sugar to the beginning dough when you mix. The cinnamon can be drying so I would add about 15g of water to the recipe if you are going with this method.
This sourdough cinnamon sugar bread is fantastic for French Toast the next day!
No sugar sourdough cinnamon raisin bread
Add cinnamon to main dough instead of as a filling and add 15g of water. Add your raisins after Autolyse and roll in the morning without any filling. The raisins add a subtle sweetness which complement the light cinnamon.
Tips
- Make sure you soak the raisins in warm water.
- Oil your loaf pan so you can easily get the bread out after baking.
- Proof for at least 2 hours! Poke the top of the dough with your finger and the imprint should very slowly rise back. This is called the poke test.
- As you roll the dough, pinch the side edges together on each roll to prevent leaking when baking.
What are the timings?
- 1:00 pm: feed starter
- 7:00 pm: mix dough and autolyse
- 8:00 pm: add raisins
- 8:30 pm: stretch and fold
- 9:00 pm: stretch and fold
- 8:00 am(next day): shape and second rise (proof)
- 12:00 pm: bake
Step by Step Instructions
1. Feed your starter
I recommend a 100% hydration starter for this receipe. This means equal parts water, flour, and beginning starter, a 1:1:1 ratio. I feed mine 10g rye, 50g all-purpose, 60g water, 60g starter.
2. Mix your dough and autolyse
Once your starter is at peak, bubbly, and doubled in size you will make your dough. My starter takes about 5-6 hours. This is going to vary depending on the temperature of your home.
For your dough you can use a ceramic, Pyrex, glass, or stainless steel bowl. I like to use a glass bowl.
Measure and mix 90g starter and 270g filtered water in a mixing bowl. Feed your leftover starter and put in fridge or counter for next use.
Measure 450g bread flour and 10g salt, add to bowl and mix slowly. The dough will be sticky and shaggy. Measure 2 tbsp butter and cut into cubes over the bowl. Use your hands to knead and incorporate the butter. It will soften and combine as you mix. Knead until all butter if fully dissolved.
Cover bowl with lid or damp towel and let sit for 1 hour. This stage is called autolyse.
3. Soak Raisins
Measure raisins and add to a cup. Fill with warm water and let soak for the remainder of the autolyse hour in Step 2.
4. Add Raisins
Drain raisins and add to dough. Lightly knead until well dispersed. Let sit covered for 30 minutes.
5. Stretch and Fold
After 30 mins, your dough should be a little more relaxed and glossy looking.
Wet your hands, pinch and grab one side of the dough with both hands and pull up. Stretch until you feel some resistance and fold into the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue until you have completed all four sides. You will feel the dough tighten as you go around.
Cover and let sit for 30 mins. I like to do this step one to two more times for optimal gluten development, but one will suffice.
6. Bulk Fermentation
Leave your dough covered on the counter for 12-13 hours (overnight) after you start step 2.
7. Shape
In the morning, your dough should look smooth and have both large and small bubbles on the surface. It should have risen 50%.
Lightly flour your counter and scrape your dough out of the bowl. Grease the inside of your loaf pan and set it at the top of your dough. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle and pull the dough to the width of your loaf pan. Poke the dough with your fingers to press out any bubbles.
8. Fill & Roll
Measure and mix 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over rectangle dough. Try to avoid the sides, as it will seep out when baked.
Take one width side and roll the dough. With each roll, gently press the edges down to keep the filling intact.
9. Proof (second rise)
Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit for about 4 hours. The dough will have risen well above the rim of the loaf pan. If you poke the dough, it should very slowly rise back. If you don’t properly proof at this stage, your finished loaf will tear on the sides and break its shape. This stage ranges anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. The number one issue with this loaf is not letting it proof long enough.
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10. Bake
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes after baking. Remove from loaf pan and let sit for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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- 1 loaf
- 23 hours
- 35 minutes
Ingredients
Starter (Leaven)
- 10 g rye flour
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g starter
- 60 g filtered water
Dough
- 90 g starter
- 270 g filtered water
- 2 tbsp butter (softened)
- 450 g bread flour
- 10 g salt
- 3/4 cup raisins
Filling
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Tools
- Scale
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic scraper
- Dish towel
- Loaf pan
Directions
Starter
- Feed starter. Mix 10g rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, 60g starter, 60g filtered water.
Dough
- Make dough and autolyse. Measure and mix water and starter in a mixing bowl until fully combined. Add bread flour and salt. Dough will be shaggy. Cut softened butter into cubes and work into dough until dissolved and fully incorporated. Cover with lid or damp towel and let sit for 1 hour.
- Soak Raisins. Measure raisins and soak in warm water for 1 hour.
- Add raisins. Drain the raisins and add to dough. Lightly knead until well dispersed. Let sit covered for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold. Perform a stretch and fold and let sit covered for 30 minutes. Repeat step up to one or two more times (time permitting).
- Bulk fermentation. Leave dough covered for ~12-13 hours (overnight) after your start step 1.
- Shape. Grease the inside of loaf pan. Gently shape dough into a rectangle and pull to the width of your pan.
- Fill & Roll. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over dough. Roll up dough and place seam side down in loaf pan.
- Proof. Cover with damp dish towel and let sit for ~4 hours.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and let sit for at least 1 hour.
More delicious sourdough recipes
This is one of the many fantastic sourdough recipes available on this blog