Classic Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe - Crave The Good (2024)

This cinnamon raisin sourdough is full of tangy sourdough, sweet raisins, and spicy cinnamon. It’s the perfect mix of flavors to make your mouth water.

When I make this sourdough cinnamon raisin bread I have to hide it.

And I don’t mean like tuck it in the cupboard, I mean, like… HIDE it.

I literally have to bake it when the house is empty and wrap it twice before stuffing it in the cupboard up above the microwave, because I’m the only one who knows that hiding spot exists.

I swear Kevy and the kids are like drug-sniffing dogs, but with sourdough. They walk into the house and just know I baked some of that goodness.

Then they eat it 🙁 It’s just rude if you ask me. Ha!

This cinnamon raisin sourdough recipe is dedicated to keeping the good stuff for yourself!

Jump to:
  • Tips + Tricks
  • Key Ingredients
  • How To Make Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
  • Baker’s Schedule
  • Why Use A Proofing Box?
  • Using A Proofing Box For This Recipe
  • Batch + Storage
  • More Sourdough Bread Recipes To Love
  • Recommended Equipment
  • 📖 Printable Recipe

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> If you’re overwhelmed with all things sourdough, I can help you! I have guides on everything from making a 24 hour sourdough starter, to picking the best starter jar, to feeding sourdough starter, to storing sourdough starter, to proofing in the fridge, to freezing sourdough bread, to using up discard, and more.

No. 2 –>Using the Brod + Taylor proofing box has revolutionized my sourdough baking. With the proofing box, not only do I get more consistent bakes, but I can go from feeding my starter to making my dough within 3 hours, and speed up my bulk fermentation time too! See more on the proofing box below.

No. 3 –> Adding the buttery cinnamon mixture to this recipe will be similar to adding the filling to my jalapeño cheddar sourdough. BUT the shaping is much easier and is done in basically 1 step!

No. 4 –> I finally(!) got a couple of bannetons! They are 100% NOT necessary for baking sourdough, but I do prefer the results of the loaves that have been proofed in the bannetons. If you don’t have one, I have a great guide to banneton alternatives.

No. 5 –> Can’t get enough sourdough and cinnamon? Try my sourdough cinnamon rolls!

Key Ingredients

Active Sourdough Starter:For this recipe, you want to use a fed andACTIVE SOURDOUGH STARTER. Your starter should have been fed within the last approximately 6-8 hours and have at least doubled in size. If you’re using your sourdough starter while it’s still expanding, the dough will be sweeter, and if you use it past its peak, the dough will be sourer. This recipe is based on a sourdough starter with 100% hydration (equal amounts of flour and waterby weight,not volume.)

Cinnamon: Even if you’re a cinnamon aficionado with a collection of cinnamon, I would still recommend Saigon cinnamon. It’s more affordable, easily accessible, and has a rich, spicy flavor that’s perfectly suited to the sourdough flavor in this recipe.

Raisins: I recommend dark Thompson raisins. These seed-free raisins are sun-dried and have a delicious, caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with the spice in the cinnamon. Golden raisins will work in a pinch, but they are treated to prevent their skin from darkening and tend to have a more acidic taste.

How To Make Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

Build the dough:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 100g fed and active starter with 350g warm water. Whisk until homogenous.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together 500g bread flour, 10g salt, and 25g granulated sugar. Mix this into the wet ingredients. I usually stir with a whisk until I get to the shaggy stage. Once the dough looks shaggy, I’ll switch to a bowl scraper or my hands to help lift and fold the dough into itself to ensure all the flour is absorbed.
  3. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 45-60 minutes. This rest period improves the extensibility of the dough, leading to a better crumb and crust.

Stretch + Fold:

  1. With wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 6-10 times, for 2-3 rotations around the bowl.
  2. Recover the bowl and rest for another 45 minutes before repeating the stretch and fold process.
  3. After the second stretch and fold, pour hot water over 125g of Thompson raisins and allow them to soak during the next 45 minute rest.
  4. Prior to the third stretch and fold, strain the water out of the rehydrated raisins. Then add the raisins to the dough and stretch and fold the raisins into the dough. You’ll likely have to do a little convincing and pressing the raisins into the dough. Any way you get it done is perfect! Recover the bowl and allow it to rest for another 45-60 minutes.

Cinnamon Swirl:

  1. In a small bowl, combine 40g softened butter with 25g granulated sugar, 8g Saigon cinnamon, and 15g all purpose or bread flour to make a paste.
  2. Lightly dust your countertop with flour, then turn the dough onto the work surface.
  3. Carefully press/stretch the dough into a rectangular shape with wet hands. The dough may fight your pulling, but take care to not tear the dough – if required, stretch a bit, then let the dough rest for a couple of minutes before stretching more.
  4. Spread most of the cinnamon butter mixture over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1/2″ gap along the edges to ensure your dough sticks together and the cinnamon doesn’t run out.
  5. Fold up the bottom of the rectangle about 1/3 of the way up, like you’d fold a letter. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar blend on the top, ensuring you leave 1/2″ along the edge. Fold the top of the dough over the bottom. Gently fold the sides under to form a boule shape.
  6. Place the shaped dough into a banneton, floured with rice flour, or banneton alternative, and cover. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature 4-5 hours to bake today, or place in the fridge to cold ferment for 6-24 hours.

Bake:

  1. Preheat oven with dutch oven inside to 450f. I use a large, bare cast iron dutch oven for this recipe. A light-colored enamel dutch oven absolutely works as well, I just find the lighter color enamel gives a lighter crust and tends to stain.
  2. Once the oven is preheated, turn the dough out onto a parchment paper sheet, then score the top of the loaf.
  3. Lift the dough using the parchment paper as a sling and place it into the hot dutch oven.
  4. Bake at 450f for 35 minutes covered and then another 15-20 minutes uncovered, until the crust is golden brown.
  5. Remove from dutch oven immediately and place on a wire mesh rack to cool before slicing.

Baker’s Schedule

  • Day 1 –>
    • 6:30 am:Feed the starter.
    • 12:00 pm:Make the dough and rest for autolyze.
    • 3:00 pm:Stretch and fold process is complete.
    • 3:45 pm:Spread cinnamon butter mixture on the dough, shape the dough, and place into banneton. Allow shaped loaf to proof for 4-5 hours to bake today, or slide into plastic bag and place in fridge for 6-24 hours.
  • Day 2 –>
    • 8:30 am:Set a dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat both together at 450f.
    • 9:30 am:Flip the cinnamon raisin sourdough loaf onto a parchment paper square, score the top of the loaf. Then bake in the dutch oven.

Why Use A Proofing Box?

I absolutely adore my Brod + Taylor proofing box! It has simplified and improved my sourdough baking in a few different ways.

  1. Speed!One of the major factors in fermentation is temperature, and keeping my sourdough starter at a warmer temperature has helped me to learn my starter better and know how long it will take to activate after feeding, or what to expect for my bulk fermentation time.
  2. Consistency!Due to the consistently warmer temperature in the proofing box, my bread is consistently rising and ready for baking at expected times.
  3. Scheduling!This one ties into speed, but deserves its own section. Increasing the speed of fermentation means that I can much more easily fit sourdough baking into my busy schedule, and you will too.
  4. Better rise!The photos below show a fed starter split into two containers over the course of 3 hours. One was placed at room temperature and one was placed in the proofing box. It is evident that the starter in the proofing box rose/activated much more quickly than the room temperature starter. The starter from the proofing box also rose taller than the room temperature starter overall.

Using A Proofing Box For This Recipe

It’s really easy to incorporate the proofing box into sourdough baking!

Fill the water reservoir and set the proofing box to 80f. Return the dough to the proofing box each time you’re done handling it and reduce the time by approximately 1/3rd. If your stretch and folds need 45 minutes rest at room temp, reduce the time to 30 minutes in the proofer.

Batch + Storage

BATCH:

This recipe bakes a nice-sized loaf of cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. This is the perfect amount for our family of 4 to serve with breakfast for at least 2 days. Or for me to hide from my kids and spouse for up to 3 days!

STORAGE:

If you’ve got leftover sourdough, you’ve got serious willpower! There are a couple of ways to store sourdough bread to help prolong its quality after cutting.

Your boule can be kept cut side down on a cutting board for up to 12 hours before the crust becomes too crisp. This is our go-to. I recommend transferring it to a bread bag after 16-18 hours though.

Your sourdough loaf can also be frozen. To freeze sourdough, cool the loaf to room temperature, then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, slide it into a bread bag, seal it up and stick it in the freezer for 1-2 months. To use after freezing, remove the loaf from the freezer, unwrap and allow it to come to room temperature (1 -2 hours) before slicing and enjoying.

More Sourdough Bread Recipes To Love

  • Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
  • Cranberry Walnut Sourdough
  • Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
  • Chocolate Sourdough

Recommended Equipment

Brod + Taylor proofing box: Aside from streamlining and improving my sourdough baking, I love this bread proofer. It’s easy to fold flat to put away, and quick to pop back open when my company leaves and I’m good to have stuff on my countertops! HA! I love that I can feed my starter and be ready to bake within 3-4 hours. You can’t make sourdough happen instantly, but unit helps it happen a heck of a lot faster!

Scale:It’s really hard to make sourdough without a scale. Sorry, but them’s the facts! bread baking and bread dough are a bit of a science. AGOOD KITCHEN SCALEwill treat you well over a huge range of recipes, not just sourdough recipes. Think ofHOMEMADE BACON!

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📖 Printable Recipe

Classic Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe - Crave The Good (30)

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe

Allyson Letal

This cinnamon raisin sourdough is full of tangy sourdough, sweet raisins, and spicy cinnamon. It's the perfect mix of flavors. Use my easy to follow recipe with step by step photos and you can make this delicious bread at home! No need to go out or buy from a store when you can have fresh baked bread right from your own oven. Trust me, you're gonna love this cinnamon raisin sourdough bread recipe!

4.62 from 42 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12 hours hrs

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 12 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Sourdough

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Calories 364 kcal

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 100 g active sourdough starter
  • 350 g water filtered, room temperature
  • 500 g bread flour
  • 25 g granulated sugar
  • 10 g sea salt
  • 125 g Thompson seedless raisins

Cinnamon fiiling:

  • 40 g softened butter or margarine
  • 25 g granulated sugar
  • 15 g all purpose or bread flour
  • 8 g ground Saigon cinnamon

Instructions

Build the dough

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 100g fed and active starter with 350g warm water. Whisk until homogenous.

  • In another bowl, whisk together 500g bread flour, 10g salt, and 25g granulated sugar. Mix this into the wet ingredients. I usually stir with a whisk until I get to the shaggy stage. Once the dough looks shaggy, I'll switch to a bowl scraper or my hands to help lift and fold the dough into itself to ensure all the flour is absorbed.

  • Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 45-60 minutes. This rest period improves the extensibility of the dough, leading to a better crumb and crust.

Stretch + Fold:

  • With wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 6-10 times, for 2-3 rotations around the bowl.

  • Recover the bowl and rest for another 45 minutes before repeating the stretch and fold process.

  • After the second stretch and fold, pour hot water over 125g of Thompson raisins and allow them to soak during the next 45 minute rest.

  • Prior to the third stretch and fold, strain the water out of the rehydrated raisins. Then add the raisins to the dough and stretch and fold the raisins into the dough. You'll likely have to do a little convincing and pressing the raisins into the dough. Any way you get it done is perfect! Return the bowl to the dough proofer and allow it to rest for another 30 minutes.

Add-ins:

  • In a small bowl, combine 40g softened butter with 25g granulated sugar, 8g Saigon cinnamon, and 15g all purpose or bread flour to make a paste.

  • Lightly dust your countertop with flour, then turn the dough onto the work surface.

  • Carefully press/stretch the dough into a rectangular shape with wet hands. The dough may fight your pulling, but take care to not tear the dough – if required, stretch a bit, then let the dough rest for a couple of minutes before stretching more.

  • Spread most of the cinnamon butter mixture over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1/2" gap along the edges to ensure your dough sticks together and the cinnamon doesn't run out.

  • Fold up the bottom of the rectangle about 1/3 of the way up, like you'd fold a letter. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar blend on the top, ensuring you leave 1/2" along the edge. Fold the top of the dough over the bottom. Gently fold the sides under to form a boule shape.

  • Place the shaped dough into a banneton, floured with rice flour, orBANNETON ALTERNATIVE, and cover. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature 4-5 hours to bake today, or place in the fridge to cold ferment for 6-24 hours.

Bake:

  • Preheat oven with dutch oven inside to 450f. I use a large, bare cast iron dutch oven for this recipe. A light-colored enamel dutch oven may need to bake longer uncovered or at a higher temperature.

  • Once the oven is preheated, turn the dough out onto a parchment sheet. Score the dough with a lame or razor blade.

  • Lift the dough using the parchment paper as a sling and place it into the hot dutch oven.

  • Bake at 450f for 35 minutes covered and then another 15-20 minutes uncovered until the crust is golden brown.

  • Remove from dutch oven immediately and place on a wire mesh rack to cool before slicing.

Notes

baker's schedule

Day 1 –>

  • 6:30 am:Feed the starter.
  • 12:00 pm:Make the dough and rest for autolyze.
  • 3:00 pm:Stretch and fold process is complete.
  • 3:45 pm:Spread cinnamon butter mixture on the dough, shape the dough, and place into banneton. Allow shaped loaf to proof for 4-5 hours to bake today, or slide into plastic bag and place in fridge for 6-24 hours.

Day 2 –>

  • 8:30 am:Set a dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat both together at 450f.
  • 9:30 am:Flip the cinnamon raisin sourdough loaf onto a parchment paper square, score the top of the loaf. Then bake in the dutch oven.

    BATCH:

    This recipe bakes a nice-sized loaf of cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. This is the perfect amount for our family of 4 to serve with breakfast for at least 2 days. Or for me to hide from my kids and spouse for up to 3 days!

    STORAGE:

    Your boule can be kept cut side down on a cutting board for up to 12 hours before the crust becomes too crisp. I recommend transferring it to a bread bag once cooled.

    Your sourdough loaf can also be frozen. To freeze, cool the loaf to room temperature, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap, slide it into a bread bag, seal it up and stick it in the freezer for 1-2 months. To use after freezing, remove the loaf from the freezer, unwrap and allow to come to room temperature (1 -2 hours) before slicing and enjoying.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 9gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 522mgFiber: 3gSugar: 16g

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Classic Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe - Crave The Good (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the secret to sourdough bread? ›

    The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

    What is the secret behind the sour of sourdough bread? ›

    There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.

    Is Aldi sourdough bread real sourdough? ›

    ALDI has “real” sourdough bread (no yeast). Being somewhat gluten intolerant, I have found “real” sourdough works for me, no bloating etc.

    How do you make sourdough bread more flavorful? ›

    Generally a more mature and well established starter will produce a more flavorful, sour loaf. Hydration of the Dough - this affects how long your dough will take to ferment. A slightly lower hydration will take longer to ferment than a higher hydration loaf, leading to a bigger depth of flavor and sourness.

    What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

    Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

    Why add honey to sourdough bread recipe? ›

    One of the benefits to adding honey to sourdough is that it can reduce the sour flavor of the bread. This could also be a disadvantage if you really enjoy that tang! Much like sugar, honey will feed the yeast in a very fast manner, meaning that it can increase the rise of your sourdough.

    What flour makes sourdough more sour? ›

    For more tang: Incorporate some rye flour and/or whole wheat flour early in the bread-making process, such as when feeding the mother culture and the preferment. Rye flour in particular will help your culture produce some acetic acid.

    Why doesn't my homemade sourdough bread taste sour? ›

    Using flours with more ash, or mineral, content, will yield more sour taste. If you can't get enough ash, adding a bit of whole wheat flour to your recipe, which is what is done with the 20% Bran Flour, will boost the sour of a bread. Conversely, using a lower ash flour will tend to produce a milder bread.

    Is sourdough good for your gut? ›

    Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people. According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system.

    Which supermarket has the best sourdough bread? ›

    Six of the best...
    • Waitrose San Francisco Sourdough Style Bloomer. Looking like a ciabatta, it's got a baguette-like crust and little salt. ...
    • Marks & Spencer. Contains yeast and is very sweet although it's got more bounce than the Sainsburys loaf. ...
    • Bertinet Bakery. A robust crumb. ...
    • Aldi. ...
    • Sainsbury's Taste the difference. ...
    • Jasons.
    Oct 2, 2022

    What is the healthiest sourdough bread? ›

    When choosing a sourdough loaf, look for ones that have whole wheat, spelt or rye, Rizzo adds. Some studies suggest that Einkhorn wheat, a type of "ancient grain," may offer more nutritional benefits. When comparing nutrition labels, try to opt for the one with fewer ingredients and less sodium and sugar.

    Is Panera bread sourdough real sourdough? ›

    Much like Panera's lackluster rewards program, Panera's sourdough is similarly disappointing -- it isn't real sourdough.

    Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

    Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

    How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier? ›

    There are several ways to make sourdough bread lighter and less dense, such as:
    1. Increasing the hydration level of your dough, which means adding more water or using less flour. ...
    2. Switching up the type of flour you use, or using a mixture of different flours.
    Nov 15, 2015

    What makes sourdough bread better than other bread? ›

    Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It's richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker's yeast.

    What does egg do in sourdough bread? ›

    I've since done a number of tests myself and adding a whole egg to a super strong dough with a little oil and honey has become my favourite! A pillowy soft loaf the will blow your mind and oven! Eggs in dough usually produces an extra open and delicate crumb and the bread comes with an extra rise.

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