Our delicious breakfast bread loaf has a soft crust, lots of sweet raisins and gorgeous aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg. Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread is a great wintery loaf that’s perfect for slicing and toasting! We love it slathered with salted butter next to a strong morning coffee! It makes a perfect Christmas morning loaf too!
Jump to:
- Why Bake With Sourdough?
- What Does Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Taste Like?
- Baker’s Schedule
- Equipment Needed
- Ingredients and Substitutes
- The Importance Of A Good Sourdough Starter
- Method
- Tips & Tricks For Best Results
- Recipe FAQs
- What To Serve Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread With?
- How To Store This Fruity Loaf?
- Other Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
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Why Bake With Sourdough?
- Natural Fermentation: Sourdough relies on natural wild yeast and beneficial bacteria, resulting in a longer fermentation process. This enhances the bread’s digestibility, making it easier on your stomach compared to commercial yeast breads.
- Improved Nutrient Absorption: Sourdough fermentation breaks down anti-nutrients and gluten, potentially making it more suitable for individuals with mild gluten sensitivities and allowing better absorption of essential nutrients in the bread.
- Rich Flavor Profile: Sourdough imparts a unique tangy flavour to your bread, enhancing its taste and aroma. The slow fermentation process develops complex flavours that are deeply satisfying and rewarding for your palate.
- Preservative-Free: Sourdough bread typically contains fewer additives and preservatives compared to store-bought bread, making it a healthier and more natural choice for those seeking to reduce their intake of processed ingredients.
What Does Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Taste Like?
This loaf is somewhere between standard white sourdough bread and brioche. Whilst the dough is enriched with milk and butter, it isn’t nearly as buttery or sweet as a brioche. The texture of the bread is firmer, but it isn’t as airy as our Crusty Sourdough Loaf which makes it perfect for toasting and buttering, without butter melting through the wholes.
The cinnamon loaf has a soft crust similar to sandwich bread. And whilst the plump raisins provide some sweetness, it really isn’t very sweet making it ideal (and extremely versatile) bread for both sweet and savoury toppings.
Baker’s Schedule
Day 1
10:30 AM Feed starter and leave it to double in volume
2:30 PM Make the dough
3:00 PM Bulk fermentation (first rise) starts
3:30 PM 1st set of coil folds
4:00 PM 2nd set of coil folds
4:30 PM 3rd set of coil folds
5:00 PM 4th set of coil folds
5:30 PM 5th set of coil folds
6:00 PM 6th set of coil folds, then leave it for 1 hour
7:00 PM Transfer the dough to the fridge to finish proofing overnight.
Day 2
8:00 AM Shape the sourdough cinnamon bread into a loaf pan
8:30 AM Leave it in a warm spot for second rise
1:30 PM Bake
2:10 PM Cool.
Equipment Needed
You will ideally need a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry too much. The dough will be sticky to start with, but you can still knead it by hand with the help of a dough scraper. Once you start performing the coil folds, you will see your dough transform into a soft and elastic dough that is a lot more manageable and less sticky.
You will also need a 2lbs loaf tin to take the bread in.
Ingredients and Substitutes
This Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough uses simple everyday ingredients, most of which the majority of us have in our kitchen at any one time.
- active sourdough starter: strong and active, 100% hydration.
- strong bread flour: we use all white flour, but you may substitute up to a third of white bread flour with spelt, rye flour or whole wheat flour.
- spices: aromatic cinnamon and nutmeg, or substitute the two with mixed spice.
- salt.
- raisins or sultanas: or a mixture of the two.
- milk: dairy milk works best, especially one with high-fat content.
- water: tap water is perfectly fine. use luke warm water to speed up the process of bulk fermentation.
- butter: unsalted, at room temperature. If you’re using salted butter, make sure to reduce the amount of salt you’re adding to this loaf.
If you like your cinnamon raisin bread slightly sweeter, you may add 1-2 tablespoon of brown sugar. Alternatively, you may brush the top of the loaf with some maple syrup after baking.
The Importance Of A Good Sourdough Starter
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread is naturally leavened and doesn’t rely on commercial yeast for the dough rise. As a result, it is critical that you use a strong active sourdough starter. And this goes for any enriched dough, including Sourdough Brioche, Pain au Chocolat or Plain Croissants. Here are a few tips:
A sourdough starter that is low in acid will work best. That simply means that your starter needs to be frequently refreshed prior to using it to make enriched sourdough. The dough for cinnamon bread is enriched with milk and butter and will require that little extra oomph of the natural yeast to rise the dough. We recommend you feed a little bit of your starter for 2-3 days in a row before using it to ensure both low acidity and strong yeast.
Another important thing to remember is that sourdough starter is best when used at its peak (and never once it starts to deflate unless the recipe specifies ‘sourdough discard’). Once you feed your starter one last time before making this cinnamon raisin sourdough bread recipe, leave it in a warm spot for 4-5 hours. It should double (maybe even triple in volume) in that time and you’re fine to use it then. If you leave it for longer, your starter may reach its peak and then start deflating. If your starter hasn’t doubled in 4-5 hours at 20-24°C, you may need to keep feeding it for a couple more days before it’s fit for purpose.
Method
This sourdough raisin bread is made over two days.
Day 1: Feed Starter, Make The Dough, Coil Folds
Once you have your starter has doubled, mix all the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. With a dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium speed for about a few minutes. Then start adding cubed room-temperature butter to the shaggy dough. One piece at a time, drop them into the running mixer and knead until all butter is well incorporated.
The dough will be quite wet. Scoop it out into a lightly greased bowl, and turn it once in it to cover all the surface of the dough with oil. Then cover it with a damp towel or cling film and leave in a warm place. For the next 3-4 hours, every 30 minutes, I uncover the dough and, with wet hands, perform a set of coil folds (video below), or you can use a stretch-and-fold method. Whichever method you use, I recommend that you either grease your fingers first or dip them in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
***NOTE: The video above shows could fold method. Although the dough in the video is for Sourdough Ciabatta, the same method applies to all higher-hydration doughs.***
Three or four hours later your dough should feel more elastic, a lot softer and much less sticky. Let your sourdough cinnamon dough rest at room temperature for another hour, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge to cold-proof overnight.
Day 2: Shaping, Second Rise, Baking
Next morning, take the bread dough out of the fridge and scoop it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle with your hands, or by gently applying the pressure with a rolling pin. Fold the top third down towards the centre. Fold the bottom third up and over (see photos).
It should be folded like a pamphlet. Then turn a quarter of a turn and flatten slightly. Repeat the folds again. You should be left with a little roll. Stretch it lengthways a little to match the length of your loaf tin.
Line a 2 lbs loaf tin with a piece of parchment paper. Then pop your sourdough log in it, cover it with greased clingfilm and let the bread rise in a warm spot again for 4-6 hours until it doubles in size.
Once doubled, brush the top of the dough with a tablespoon of milk and pop it in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes. It should sound hollow tapped on the bottom and have a crusty golden brown top (which will soften as it cools).
Leave the loaf in its tin for 10 minutes, then remove it by pulling on the overhanging baking parchment and place the loaf of bread on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
When baked late in the evening on Christmas Eve and left to cool overnight, it makes a wonderful Christmas Sourdough Loaf to enjoy for Christmas breakfast!
Tips & Tricks For Best Results
- Always use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients – baking requires a certain level of precision that cups and spoons may not provide.
- Be flexible and patient. If your dough isn’t rising enough in the time suggested in this recipe, give it a bit more extra time (the rise will depend on the strength of your sourdough starter, kitchen temperature and the type of flour used).
- For extra juicy raisins, soak them overnight in rum, brandy or orange juice.
- If you do not like the coil folding method, you can perform sets of stretch and fold instead.
- When your bread is in the oven, the moisture from the dough tries to find a way to escape, and your Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread may crack. To control this, you may choose to score the top of the dough, using a sharp knife.
- Do not slice your bread before it has at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack to void the gummy texture.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. However, all-purpose flour has lower gluten content, and therefore, the dough may be more difficult to handle and shape. What is more, it may not rise as much. Nonetheless, it is a delicious recipe regardless of the percentage of gluten in your flour.
Coil folds involve gently lifting the sides of the dough and folding it inwards in a coil-like motion, repeating this action at intervals during fermentation. This technique promotes the even distribution of gases and strengthens the dough structure, resulting in a more consistent crumb texture and better dough development. Coil folds are particularly beneficial for doughs with higher hydration levels as they minimize the risk of overworking and tearing the dough. Read more about the benefits and techniques of coil folds in sourdough baking.
Whilst most home bakers check their loaves by tapping the bread on the bottom to see if it sounds hollow, we recommend checking the internal temperature of the loaf to be absolutely sure. It should be 96 to 99°C (205 to 210°F).
What To Serve Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread With?
This fruity and aromatic sourdough loaf is a wonderful bread to serve alongside charcuterie or a cheeseboard. It can be served fresh on the day that it’s baked, or sliced and toasted the next day. It also makes a perfect breakfast loaf and is delicious with butter and plum jam.
Leftover bread makes the best French toast!
How To Store This Fruity Loaf?
Ideally, you want to eat this beautiful cinnamon raisin sourdough on the day it is baked, but if you have leftovers there are a couple of options for storing it.
Once the bread has cooled down to room temperature, store it in an airtight container, plastic bag or bread bag unsliced in a dark cupboard for up to 2 days. It is best to lightly toast it if you’re eating it the next day!
Alternatively, slice the leftover bread loaf and place it in ziplock bags or airtight containers and freeze it for up to 4 months. You can then defrost and warm the slices as needed in the toaster! You can also freeze the entire loaf. For more information, visit our article on How To Store Sourdough Bread.
Other Sourdough Recipes
If you like baking with sourdough starter, here are some of the recipes we love:
- Sourdough Brioche with Scented with Vanilla & Lemon
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (recipe coming soon)
- Overnight Sourdough Focaccia with Olives and Mixed Herbs
- Bara Brith (Welsh Sourdough Fruit Bread)
If you are a beginner and would like to make your own sourdough starter, check out our articles below:
Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 75 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 230 g strong bread flour
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 50 g raisins or sultanas
- 125 ml milk plus extra for brushing
- 75 ml water
- 30 g butter room temperature
Instructions
The Night Before Or 4 Hours in Advance:
- Feed your starter. Use 100% hydration starter for this recipe and feed it the ratio of 1 part starter : 1 part flour : 1 part water if feeding 4-6hours in advance. If leaving overnight, you may want to feed in the ratio of 1:2:2 or even 1:3:3 if your kitchen is warm. Leave it to rise until at least doubles in volume. Use before it starts to deflate.
Day 1:
- In a large bowl of your stand mixer, mix all the dough ingredients except for butter and knead on medium speak for 5 minutes. You can knead by hand on a lightly floured surface, but it may take a bit longer.
- Add the soft cubed butter, little bit at a time, and keep on mixing/kneading until butter is fully incorporated. The dough should look less sticky and slightly shiny once you've finished. It will be rather wet though.
- Transfer the dough into a shallow well-greased dish. Turn once to coat, then cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot to rest for 4 hours. For the first 3 hours, every 30 minutes, uncover the bowl and perform a set of coil-folds or stretch-and-folds (see text above for details). Then leave to rise for another hour. If your dough is still sticky and not very elastic, you may want to do a couple of extra folds and let it rise for an extra hour.
- Then cover the bowl with clingfilm and pop it in the fridge to cold-proof til the next morning.
Day 2:
- Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and scoop onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch it out into a rectangele. Fold the top third down to the middle, then fold the bottom third up – like A4 sheet of paper before you put it in an envelope. See photos abive. You should end up with a little roll. Stretch it out to the length of your loaf tin and gently place it in the tin.
- Leave the dough to prove in a warm spot for 4-6 hours, or until it doubles.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Brush the top of the loaf with some milk. Then bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the top is dark golden brown. Remove from the tin. Cooked loaves should feel light and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This bread makes excellent toast! We love it with some salted butter!
kushigalu
Love anything with cinnamon flavor and this sourdough bread looks so perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Ieva
Gald you like the look of it 🙂 Hope you enjoy the flavour too, if you try making it 🙂
Heather
My most favorite bread ever. Love that this is a sourdough version…can’t wait to get my starter out and try!
Ieva
Thanks, Heather! It’s so good made with sourdough!
Liza
What a special recipe! I’m always looking for new ways to use sourdough starter, and my whole family loves this cinnamon raisin bread. SO delicious!
Ieva
So glad you all enjoyed it 💗
James Strange
My wife looked over my shoulder and saw a picture of your bread. Now I am making a sourdough starter. Lets see how this goes.
Ieva
You won’t regret it! It’s so rewarding baking with sourdough 🙂
Mike Harris
Love your sourdough recipes. Thank you so much!
Ieva
Thanks so much, Mike! You made my day! 😀