This is a variation on our Artisan Sourdough bread recipe (so go there if you want lots more detail about baking with sourdough)! This here is a fun and delicious variation with mix-ins!
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Prep time
Fermentation time
Total time
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 350 grams plus 25 grams warmed water (80°F/27°C)
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 500 grams flour total:
- - 350 grams all-purpose flour
- - 150 grams total flour: whole wheat flour, spelt, or bread flour
- 10 grams salt
- 125 grams (about 1 cup) raisins
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) walnut pieces, soaked & dehydrated
- 45 ml (3 Tbsp.) brown liquor like rum, cognac, brandy or whiskey
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) ground cinnamon
Equipment
- Large heavy bowl
- heavy dutch oven with lid or bread baker
- bench scraper
- kitchen scale
- bread (serrated) knife
Instructions
Activate Starter (8 hours)
- Discard all but 3 tablespoons (50g) of starter. You can use discarded starter for other purposes.
- Mix in 50 grams of 78°F/26°C water and 50 grams all-purpose flour.
- Mix thoroughly and make sure there aren’t any dry bits of flour.
- Cover mixture with a towel or paper towel and let it rise overnight or about 8 hours.
Mix Dough (40 minutes)
- Soak raisins in brown liquor plus ¼ cup (60 ml) water for an hour (or longer!)
- In a large heavy bowl, mix 350 grams of 80°F/27°C water and 100 grams of active starter.
- Add the flours and mix thoroughly, making sure there aren’t any dry bits of flour.
- Let the dough rest for 25 to 40 minutes.
- At the end of the resting period, dough should look less shaggy and smoother.
- Add 5 grams salt and 25 grams of 80°F/27°C water.
- Drain raisins from soaking liquid. Add half the raisins, cinnamon and walnuts to dough, incorporating with your hands.
- Use your hands to mix in everything, and make sure the salt is worked through all of it.
- Add the remaining salt, raisins, cinnamon and walnuts. Mix again.
- Once the water and salt are mixed in and the dough feels more cohesive, do one or two turns.
- To do one turn, take the side of the dough furthest away ("12:00" of the bowl), and gently lift it out of the bowl until it stretches, then fold it back on itself towards you ("6:00" of the bowl). Wait 10-15 seconds. Turn the bowl one-third (about 120 degrees) and repeat. Wait and turn one-third and repeat once more.
Bulk Fermentation (4 hours)
- This is the first rise for your bread, and it will take 3 to 4 hours if your kitchen is relatively warm (78-82°F/25-28°C). In a cooler kitchen, it will take at least 4 hours, maybe longer. Leave the dough in its bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel.
- Every 30 minutes, do one gentle turn of the bread. During the bulk fermentation, you want your dough to aerate, so don’t push all the bubbles out as you turn.
- Dough will increase in volume noticeably after a few hours. (A good rule of thumb is you want it to roughly double in size.)
Pre-shape Dough
- Flour your work surface and use a spatula to flip the dough out onto the floured surface.
- Fold the dough onto itself, and flip it over so the seam is down.
- Tuck the bottom under to shape it into a ball, and build tension in the outer layer as you shape it. Use your bench scraper or your hands to tuck the dough into itself as you go "around" the ball.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and cover with a kitchen towel.
Bench rest and Final shaping (30 minutes)
- Let dough rest on your work surface for 20-30 minutes. It will relax into a fat pancake shape.
- If it looks too runny, do a second shaping and a second bench rest to develop tension in the surface.
- To final shape, flip the dough over so the seam is up.
- Do one final and gentle turn of the dough before shaping it again: Instead of three folds, you will do four. If your dough is a clock, take the 12:00 side and gently stretch it up and fold toward you, towards 6:00.
- Do the same with the 3:00 (from 3 to 9) and then from 9:00 to 3:00.
- Take the 6:00 side and fold it over the other folds; as you fold it away from you, keep turning the dough so it flips over seam-side down.
- Let your dough rest for a minute.
- If you use a proofing basket/banneton, flour the inside generously so dough doesn’t stick. If you use a bowl, line the inside with a kitchen towel and then flour the towel generously.
- Gently pick up your dough and flip it over into the basket/bowl so the seam is facing up.
- Flour the seam.
Final Rise
Same Day (2-4 hours)
- Let the dough rise in your kitchen for 2-4 hours (if your kitchen is relatively warm (78-82°F/25-28°C); if it's cooler than that, extend the time. The shorter the final rise time, the milder your loaf will taste. The longer, the more sour it will taste.
Overnight Slow Rise (8-12 hours)
- You can extend the final rise by putting your dough in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours. (This is also handy to let the sour flavor develop, and it lets you bake fresh bread first thing in the morning!)
Bake (1 hour)
- Place a heavy covered dutch oven or bread baker in the oven and preheat to 500°F/260°C.
- Remove bowl with dough from fridge if you did an overnight rise (no need to let it come to room temp first).
- Once oven is hot, carefully slide the rack out and uncover the dutch oven.
- Dust the bottom of the dutch oven or bread baker with flour, and then invert your dough into it (rough side should be down).
- Score the top of the dough with a serrated knife or bread lame.
- Cover the dutch oven and slide it back in the oven.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 450°F/232°C.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the dutch oven/bread baker and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes to develop color on the outside of the loaf.
- Remove bread from oven and dutch oven, and let cool on baking rack.
Looking for a ready-made sourdough starter? We got that!
Ready to learn more? Take one of our classes!
Now available, a self-paced Sourdough Bread Master Class from Fermenters Ciub Academy!
Â
Â
Made the Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough bread. Turned out very good. ( I have pictures but don’t know how to post them.)
Thanks for the recipe!
Rich
Woo hoo! Glad it turned out. You can post on your own social media and then tag us (instagram @fermentersclub or Facebook @Fermenters Club)!
Thank you!