Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Sourdough cinnamon raisin bread is deliciously soft, scented with cinnamon, and studded with raisins. It is great to eat fresh or toasted and slathered with butter.

I’ve got a personal goal to work my way through as many commercial yeast bread varieties as I can and create the equivalent in sourdough recipes. A sourdough cinnamon raisin bread has always been a front runner to try. It has taken me a wee while to get this sourdough fruit bread just right though.

It wasn’t a matter of adding fruit to a standard sourdough loaf. I had an idea of what the texture should be and regular sourdough bread with raisins wasn’t going to cut it. I wanted it to be slightly tender but not overly so like a brioche, and I wanted it soft but not super fluffy like a hot cross bun.

Sourdough Cinnamon Bread

The dough is lightly enriched with milk and a little bit of butter. This brings just the right amount of tenderness and softness to the crumb.

This recipe makes 2 loaves. I like to slice and freeze one, so we can easily grab a couple of pieces to pop in the toaster. There are two options of timings for this cinnamon raisin sourdough bread, so you can follow which one suits your schedule. The exact times given are a guide.

Ingredients

Active sourdough starter

To make this sourdough roll recipe you need an active starter. If you don’t have one, here is how to make your own sourdough starter. 

If you do have one, keep feeding and discarding regularly to keep the acid content in the starter low. Too much acid can affect the structure of the bread.

If you are feeding your starter overnight it will be fed at a ratio of 1:3:3 (or even 1:4:4 if it’s going to be a warm night). This means a ratio of 1 part starter, 3 parts flour, and 3 parts water measured in weight.

This feeding amount means it will be ready to use within 8-10 hours, depending on the warmth of the room overnight. If you are feeding it during the day to use in the afternoon it can be fed at a 1:2:2 ratio which means it will rise quicker. Keep the starter at a temperature between 21-25 °C/ 69-77°F.

Method

Feed the starter

Feed the starter and let it rise. The amounts to feed it will depend on if you are feeding your starter overnight or during the day.

The dough

When the starter is ready to use, in a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients of the dough together except for the butter. It will make a sticky shaggy dough. Now work in the room temperature butter with your hands.

It takes a few minutes and it is a little messy and very sticky, but it’s not hard. Make sure it’s all worked in. This part can also be done with a stand mixer.

Transfer the dough into a large clean bowl and cover with a damp towel.

Bulk ferment

Place the dough in a warm spot to bulk ferment for the next 4 hours. (ideally around 25°C/ 77°F.) During the first 3 hours, perform 6 sets of folds in the first three hours, one set every 30 minutes, letting the dough rest after each set.

You could a classic stretch and fold method or a coil fold. The dough will start off sloppy but will gain strength and elasticity as the folds go on.

Stretch and fold – Using wet hands, take one side of the dough and stretch it up, then pull it over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this move. Continue stretching and folding and turning the bowl until all sides have been folded. That is one set of stretch and folds.

Coil folding – Using wet hands, coax the sides of the dough up with your fingers and lift it up from the middle and back onto itself. Turn the dough and repeat on all sides, until it forms a ball. If the dough sticks too much to your hands, wet them again.

Let the dough continue to bulk ferment for another hour.

Cold proof

Cover the dough tightly with compostable plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, until you are ready to shape.

Shaping

Grease and line two standard loaf pans with parchment paper.

When the dough comes from the fridge it will be stiff and cold. Pull it from the bowl onto a floured works surface and split it into 2 equal pieces.

Take a piece of dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to push and stretch the dough into a rectangle. Aim for the width of the rectangle to be nearly the same length as the loaf pan. Roll the rectangle up from the short side, like a swiss roll. Lay the dough in the prepared loaf pan. Repeat with the second piece.

Second rise

Let the dough rise and double in size overnight at room temperature.

If you are letting it rise during the day instead, place it in a warm spot for 4-6 hours until doubled in size. Ideally at a temperature of around 25°C/ 77°F.) If you have a cold kitchen, create a humid and warm place by placing the dough into a turned-off oven alongside a bowl of boiled water. Replace the water as needed when it cools down.

Baking

Once it has risen, heat the oven to 200°C/400 °F.

Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the dough of each loaf with a little milk.

Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes until deep golden brown on the top. As the bread bakes, if it is browning too fast, loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. When the bread is removed from the pans it should feel light and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.  The internal temperature of the loaf should be between 88-94°C/190-200°F.

Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving,

Serving and storing

Store leftover bread in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

The bread can also be frozen for long-term storage, up to 3 months. It’s helpful to slice it first before freezing it in a plastic bag or freezer-safe container.

If you’re after a traditional sourdough loaf, try my Basic Sourdough Loaf.

Variations and additions

Here are some variations and additions to give your Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread a twist:

• Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread: Add finely chopped, peeled apples to the dough.
• Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Nut Bread: Add 1/2 a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy texture.
• Add Orange Zest: It’ll give the bread a wonderful citrus note that pairs well with the raisins and cinnamon.

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