Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Cinnamon Raisin bread has always been one of our family favorites, but if you want to take this tasty treat to another level try this “Sourdough” version.

Read more: Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread

No need for multiple steps of stretch and folds and hours of monitoring for this sourdough bread; in fact, like our posted sourdough sandwich bread most of the work happens while you sleep….all you need is levain (healthy active Starter) and you’re on your way to baking this wonderful treat.

We usually plan to make this bread when our adult children are homeward bound, including our vegan daughter who places her order long before her arrival. But we purposely delay any baking until everyone is present as there is nothing that gets the taste buds popping like the sweet aroma of cinnamon baking – which always creates a stir in and around the kitchen. It seems to have a hold of Max our Doodle too!

Straightforward Process…..

• This dough is prepared in the evening and left out to ferment overnight
• After the initial mixing, it rests for 35 to 40 minutes before folding in raisins
• Cover the bowl and rest overnight in a warm place
• The next morning the dough has doubled in size, is spread out in the form of a rectangle and a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon is added
• The dough is rolled to form a loaf and set in a bread tin for a final rise
• Ready to bake

This Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread is unlike any I’ve had before. The tanginess of the sourdough, combined with the sweet malt flavouring of cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins is outstanding. It’s a great snack that we most often eat plain or toasted, but on occasions it makes a terrific French Toast and – rarely – Bread Pudding, as it never seems to last that long.

I hope you enjoy it.

The Tools I Use:

• Digital Scale
• Large mixing bowl
• Parchment paper – rather than greasing the bread tin (personal preference)
• Bread tin (9.25×5.25×2.75 inches) or (23.5×13.3x7cm)
• I like to use a pizza stone to line the bottom grill of the oven to help prevent the bread bottom from burning. 2 cookie sheets can also be used.
• Bench Scraper
• Serrated knife or lame to score the dough – I use a serrated knife for this bread, but a lame will also work
• Cooking Thermometer
• Silicone spatula

Ingredients for One Loaf

• 300g Warm water – (We use spring water but non chlorinated tap water should be fine. Chlorine can be removed by boiling for 15 minutes, by filter or by leaving out for 24 hours to evaporate – a high level of chlorine is bad for the levain.)
• 40g Honey
• 65g Levain (Active Starter) (Note: I feed a portion of my Sourdough Starter at about 4pm to have levain ready by 8 or 8:30pm – 25g all purpose flour + 25g Starter + 25g spring water (1:1:1 ratio)****See how to make and maintain a Starter on my Artisan Sourdough Boule post.)
• 20g Olive Oil
• 10g Salt (I use non-iodized fine sea salt) – must be non iodized salt.
• 500g Unbleached Bread flour – we use locally grown and milled organic flours but not necessary
• 1/3 to ½ cup or 70g to 104g of brown sugar. This is dependent on how sweet you want the bread. At 104g you are getting a cinnamon roll effect with the cinnamon sugary mixture oozing through the bread. At 70g it is much lighter and not as sweet. I like somewhere in the middle about 90g
• 2 TBSP Cinnamon or 17g
• 150g of raisins – use the raisins you like, we use Golden or Thompson
• 150g of water to rehydrate the raisins
• Optional: 2 TBSP Butter/vegan butter or olive oil to coat the top of the dough before and 20 minutes into baking

Getting Started – Process:

• 2 hours before the levain is ready for mixing, soak the raisins in 150g of water to rehydrate and to plump up

Mix Ingredients:

• Add warm water to the bowl followed by the olive oil and honey
• Add a spoonful of levain to float test – levain should float if ready
• Add the rest of the levain and mix well to remove any lumps
• Add flour and salt

• Mix ingredients together well and cover bowl allowing to rest in a warm area for 35 to 40 minutes – I use a plastic bag and tea towel
• Strain the water from the raisins and dab to dry with paper towels
• After the rest period, press raisins into the dough and further incorporate by folding the edges into the center of the dough – stop now and then to repress the raisins into the dough. Continue this process until the raisins are fully incorporated
• Loosely shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic bag and towel – rest overnight in a warm area

The Next Morning

• Mix the cinnamon and sugar into a fine powder

• Line the bread tin with parchment paper or grease the tin
• The dough should have at least doubled in size

• Turn the dough out onto a dry surface – no need for flour – it should not be sticky
• Flatten and form a large rectangle – pulling sides, top and bottom
• Spread about half the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly down the middle of the rectangle and press it down to hold
• Fold each side to the middle of the rectangle leaving a seam down the middle – close the seam by pinching together and flatten

• Sprinkle the rest of the mixture evenly over the top of the dough and press it down to hold
• Roll the dough firmly into a loaf, pinch the middle seam and ends together
• Slightly tighten the loaf ball by placing your hand over the dough and pulling forward using the flat surface as friction to help tighten

• Place the dough seam side down into a lined bread tin and lightly dust the sides and top with flour
• Carefully press the dough down to spread evenly within the bread tin
• Cover the tin with a plastic bag and tea towel – rest until the dough has risen slightly above the tin sides – 2.5 to 4 hours. The time frame will vary based on environment and time of year.

Baking the Bread

• Preheat your oven to 375F degrees
• Using a serrated bread knife or lame, score the dough several times across the top – 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep
• Optional: Brush the top of the bread with melted butter, vegan butter or oil

• Into the oven it goes for 40 minutes – I like to rotate the bread tin at the 20 minute mark for even baking and I rebrush with vegan butter again.
• I use a thermometer to test the loaf center for 200F degrees to ensure the bread is done
• Immediately remove bread from the tin and parchment paper and place on a rack – allowing to cool for at least 2 hours

You’ve done it, your bread is ready.

Below is a printable recipe card from RecipesGenerator. Please give it a try!

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