Sourdough Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread
My childhood favorite cinnamon-raisin bread gets a sourdough makeover and it might just be better than the original.
Edit 6/24/22: I’m editing this post/recipe to make the process easier and more flexible. 1. I’ve found kneading the dough after mixing is not necessary. 2. You can oil the bowl or not; for plastic bowls it’s easier to leave the oil out and with glass or stainless steel, the oil helps to avoid sticking. 3. When stretching the dough out on the counter to add the cinnamon-sugar, you can either dust the surface with flour or mist with water as per my other sourdough recipes 4. After shaping the dough and allowing for some time for the last rise, you can cover the dough (already in the loaf pan) and store it in the refrigerator and bake the next day. None of these adjustments affect the final product.
If there ever was a recipe that I wanted to convert to sourdough it’s this one, hands down. As a kid I loved the grocery store sliced cinnamon-raisin loaf that came in a red bag (from Sunmaid), toasted then slathered with butter or with a thick slice of sharp cheddar, believe it or not. Even as a child I had always favored savory flavors over sweet but on the occasion that I craved both this was the combination that always satisfied.
Over the five years that I’ve maintained a sourdough starter and experimented with various recipes this cinnamon-raisin loaf has topped my to-make list but I’ve hesitated to tackle it.
Dare I admit that I’ve turned into a bit of a sourdough snob? While I have no aversion to using commercial yeast for most other recipes, when it comes to sourdough I prefer for the starter to do the leavening all on its own. Most recipes around use a combination of both so I thought it might be difficult to accomplish what I wanted.
Also, I didn’t want it to be enriched with eggs even though they lend a lighter, fluffier texture. And because of this stubborn attitude about sourdough I kept it on the back burner for years because I was afraid of failure.
Finally, last week, with the easing pressure from the real estate transaction I described in my previous post and after a last-minute getaway to Mexico, I was happy to discover that my enthusiasm for baking had returned and all I could think of was to finally attempt the ten-year-old me’s holy grail bread and make it something the present-day me would enjoy.
In the end, creating my own sourdough version of cinnamon-raisin bread turned out not to be the challenge that I feared it would be. Rather than reinventing the wheel or adapting another recipe that contained a combination of starter and commercial yeast, I turned to one of my own, my sourdough sandwich bread, as a guide. With some minor adjustments I ended up with the pleasant cinnamon-raisin flavor I loved as a child but with the texture and crumb of a rustic loaf that I enjoy as an adult. Oh, why did I wait so long?
Why I Love this Sourdough Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread
- This recipe uses a sourdough starter that was fed 24 hours prior to being used so you don’t absolutely need yours freshly fed and have to wait until it reaches peak rise. With a healthy starter your dough will rise just fine.
- Unlike my other sourdough recipes this one bakes in the same day you start it provided that your kitchen temperature is warm enough. On the day I baked this loaf my kitchen was at 75-77ºF most of the day so bulk fermentation took only a few hours. (See my notes in the printable recipe for cooler temperatures.)
- There are no eggs in this recipe. There’s nothing wrong with using eggs but it was my personal preference to omit them here for simplicity’s sake.
- No stand mixer required. The simple ingredients and process eliminate the need to mix the ingredients using a stand mixer. Apart from the stretch-and-fold session and shaping most of the time is inactive time.
Helpful Tip
In this recipe you will see that I mix the raisins in the dough rather than layering them with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. When you do the latter the dough has difficulty binding along the swirl, making the bread difficult to manage after baking and slicing.
Sourdough Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread
My childhood favorite cinnamon-raisin bread gets a sourdough makeover.
Ingredients
- 120 grams raisins (2/3 – 3/4 cup) soaked in warm water for 30 minutes then drained
- 230 grams sourdough starter (fed within the last 24 hours)
- 430 grams all-purpose flour
- 35 grams maple syrup (2 tablespoons)
- 4 grams kosher salt
- 245 grams water (lukewarm)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (See Note)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (See Note)
- neutral oil for coating bowl
Instructions
Mix and Autolyse (Please See Note Below)
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In a large bowl combine all the ingredients–starter, flour, water, soaked and drained raisins, salt and maple syrup. Use a dough whisk, spatula or your hands to combine the ingredients. Turn it out on a lightly-floured surface and knead or use a bench scraper to smooth the dough as much as possible using a kneading motion (using your hands) or by scooping the dough from the bottom and folding it over itself (using a bench scraper). Lightly coat in oil the surface of the bowl you used to mix the ingredients and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for one hour (autolyse)
Stretch and Fold
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After the one hour autolyse, wet one of your hands (helps to prevent sticking), take one piece of the dough, stretch until the point of resistance then fold it over itself. Repeat this three to four times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again and wait 30 minutes for the next stretch and fold. Stretch and fold three times every thirty minutes over the course of one hour and a half. With each stretch and fold you will notice gluten development in the dough.
Bulk Fermentation
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After the stretch and fold session allow the dough to continue to proof until it's ready for shaping. In a warmer kitchen (about 75ºF when I baked this loaf) the remaining proof time after stretch and fold will be roughly one to two hours (with a healthy, robust starter). One way to check for readiness is the finger-dent test. Dip your finger in flour and poke the dough. If the dough is slow to spring back or doesn't spring back completely, it's ready for shaping. [A cooler kitchen (in the mid-60s to low 70s) will require a little longer proof time. If you start this process in early evening and you have a cool kitchen you can leave your dough overnight. You can also store it in the refrigerator overnight to slow the fermentation and continue with shaping the following morning.]
Shaping and Final Proof (Please See Note Below)
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After bulk fermentation carefully turn the dough out on a lightly-floured surface. As you coax the dough out of the bowl the top surface will become the bottom once it's turned out on the work surface. You'll want to de-gas the dough a little and stretch it to a rectangle shape but rather than using a rolling pin take two edges of the dough and gently pull them apart without tearing the gluten strands. Pull taking two edges at a time until you have roughly a rectangle shape or large square. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the entire top surface of the dough. Next, fold the wide part of the dough in thirds by taking one side and folding it two thirds of the way over then taking the other side and folding it over the already-folded side. Then roll the dough starting with one of the ends until you have a log. Pinch the seams. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray or rub with oil and transfer the rolled dough seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for one more hour. You should see a visible rise to the dough during this time.
Bake
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Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Make one slash along the length of the dough, off the side a little) then put it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 400ºF. Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown or the loaf registers 180ºF in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and cool then enjoy as is or toasted.
Recipe Notes
Bulk Fermentation Time: Your fermentation time will depend on your kitchen temperature. The shorter proof time for this recipe (compared to my other sourdough recipes) was due to the unusually warm temperature in my kitchen on this day, about 75ºF.
Note added 6/24/22: 1. I’ve found kneading the dough after mixing is not necessary. 2. You can oil the bowl or not; for plastic bowls it’s easier to leave the oil out and with glass or stainless steel, the oil helps to avoid sticking. 3. When stretching the dough out on the counter to add the cinnamon-sugar, you can either dust the surface with flour or mist with water as per my other sourdough recipes 4. After shaping the dough and allowing for some time for the last rise, you can cover the dough (already in the loaf pan) and store it in the refrigerator and bake the next day. None of these adjustments affect the final product.
I could have written a lot of this post. As a kid, I always preferred savory treats. As an adult, I still prefer savory toast. The one exception (and it started with the same red bag) was raisin toast! GREG
This looks amazing! Cheater’s question – is it possible to do any of this in the bread machine? Thanks!
Thanks, Vanessa. I’m afraid I’ve never used a bread machine so I’m not sure. If you try it let me know how it goes–would love to know. 🙂
What size loaf pan did you use? Will report back when I’m done later today!
Hi, Denise. I have an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 but any standard size loaf pan would work. I posted a link to the one I use in the FB group. 🙂
Can’t wait to do this! One question: I can’t stand maple syrup. If I don’t use it do I need to reduce the water by the same weight? Thanks!
Hi, Judith. You can replace with honey or skip it entirely. I would keep the water amount the same. Hope you like the recipe!
I have never left a comment on a recipe before but THIS sourdough recipe is HEAVEN. Thank you for it. I subbed milk for the water but I’m going to try water next time, just to get the full experience. Thank you again for this!
Katie, wow, thanks so much for your wonderful feedback. I appreciate you giving my recipe a try and I bet using milk made this recipe even better! Thanks again!:)
This bread is amazing! Making my second loaf today. My 7 year old son gave it two thumbs up!
So happy to hear this, Heather! Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to share your feedback. 🙂
Quick question…if I do the bulk fermentation in the fridge overnight, how long before shaping and final proof should I pull the dough out of the fridge the next day? Does it need to rise to room temperature first? I have only made this dough and baked same day in the past. I love this recipe!!!
Thank you for this recipe. On my second loaf right now. Easy to make and oh so delicious. Reminds me of the raisin bread from the local fruit stand as a kid.
Looks lovely! What size rectangle did you make? Then you folded in the widest side? Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Vickie. I don’t have a measurement for the rectangle but I’ll guess, about 15 inches on the long side, give or take? I just gently pull the ends until I meet resistance. As the dough relaxes it becomes more elastic so it takes a few gentle pulls to flatten it out. Happy to answer more questions if you have them. 🙂
Thanks for the explanation Jean……then I’m not sure how you shape the loaf from the rectangle? Sorry to be so slow . I need to make this!
No problem at all, Vickie–it really can be confusing! Here’s a video that shows how I shape all my loaves, including this swirl bread. I just tend to pull the dough to a wider, flatter square/rectangle but it depends on the extensibility of the dough. You can get the idea from this, though. He folds in thirds then rolls. Hope this helps. Please let me know. 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFXp-StcueY
Perfect…..thanks so much
Since this is a sweeter bread how does that work with sourdough? I once tried sourdough cinnamon rolls and found them too sour.
The sour component can come from a few things–the starter itself, a long fermentation time and/or temperature. For my sweeter sourdough bakes I haven’t noticed sour being a problem. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Can I doubLe this recipe then divide when shaping ? Or do I need to make two separate loaves the whole way through?
Hi, Emily. You can mix a double batch and divide when you’re ready to shape and transfer to your loaf pans. The rise time might just be a little longer depending on temperature. 🙂
Thanks! I’ve now made this(always make double) 4 times! It is amazing every time. I make double so my family can have a loaf and I can share one with someone else ! My mom says it’s the best cinnamon raisin bread she has ever had! I am thinking I might make a double batch and try freezing one loaf some time. Thanks again for an amazing recipe!!
Wow, Emily, this is the best feedback ever! I’m so glad you and your family like this recipe and how sweet that you always bake extra to share. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a comment–really appreciate it!! 🙂
Any advice if I want to prep today and bake tomorrow? Is that possible?
Hi, Emily. You can refrigerate the dough after bulk fermentation, shape the next day, proof and bake. You can also shape then refrigerate overnight and bake the next day. Refrigeration is essentially like hitting the pause button on fermentation and allows for flexibility on time. 🙂
Just curious the bread is great! However mine didn’t bake up as high as yours. It rose with a noticeable difference but didn’t bake high like other breads. Any suggestions?
Hi, Karla. Thanks for giving this recipe a try. I use a loaf pan that is 9x5x3 inches–might yours have been bigger so your loaf would appear smaller than mine? If your starter is happy and active I can’t think of another reason why your loaf wouldn’t have risen as much. It sounds like your dough rose predictably during bulk so I’m not sure why it didn’t spring for you as much during baking. Happy to troubleshoot further with you. 🙂
I’m new to sourdough so this recipe looked intimidating, but I’m sooo glad I gave it a try! It’s absolutely amazing!!
Yay, I’m so glad, Stephanie! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! 🙂
When you do the first “knead” after combining, how long do you do that? A few turns to get it in a good ball, or 5 minutes? And if you can do it scraping, cant you do that in the bowl (lazy)?
Hi, Lorraine. I don’t think you can really get it wrong so if you knead it until the dough is mostly smooth for a couple of minutes and if you can do it in the bowl, that’s fine, too. Hope this helps. 🙂
I just want to say…..this was heaven. Trying to let it cool was torture as it smelled so good. Eat a piece when it’s still at little warm, slathered in butter, and you will not be able to stop. Not all my sour doughs have turned out great but this one turned out big and fluffy and sweet and light….oh I could go on and on.
Jan, this is so nice to hear, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so glad you like it and that this recipe turned out well for you. This loaf will keep for days and toasts beautifully. Thanks so much again!! 🙂
This sourdough cinnamon raisin bread is delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe. I followed your recipe exactly up until the baking temperature. I baked it at 385 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes, but next time will increase it to 50-55 minutes as the bread was slightly underbaked.
The comments and your replies were also very helpful. I look forward to following your site and trying out your recipes.
Hi, Mabel. Your feedback made me happy–thank you so much for trying this recipe and I’m so glad you liked it. I think you’re right about extending the baking time since you’re baking at a lower temperature–hope it’s perfect for you next time. Thanks again!! 🙂
Hi Jean,
I meant to give this recipe 5 stars and add them here. Yesterday I made another loaf – my husband loves it! Your recipes are so well written, making them a pleasure to read.
Mabel, this is such a nice comment, thank you! I often wonder if the recipes are too long but I try to make them as clear and easy to follow as possible so I appreciate this feedback. So glad you and your husband are enjoying this recipe and thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment. 🙂
I have made this recipe multiple times and it is wonderful each time. Recently for the filling, I omitted the raisins and instead used the 1/3 cup sugar plus 1 T + 1t cinnamon, 1.5t cardamom, the zest from 2 medium oranges, and spread 2 T butter on before sprinkling the mixture over the dough and rolling it up – this also worked very well. I have also experimented with half whole wheat, half AP flour without changing anything else, and it was still great. This is my go-to recipe for making a sourdough loaf! Thank you!
Hi, Walker. I’m so glad you have enjoyed this recipe and your variation is brilliant. I love cardamom and orange together–I’ve used it in sweet baked goods but never for bread–so I can’t wait to try this loaf your way next time. Thanks so much for this very nice feedback–I really appreciate it! 🙂
Hi, I just tried this last evening! The bread tastes amazing, but my crust is really crunchy! I only had it in 50 minutes. Is the crust supposed to be really crisp or softer?
Hi, Melissa. The crust is not supposed to be hard or crunchy. This is a slightly firmer crust and crumb than the cinnamon raisin loaves sold at markets but just slightly. I wonder what could have caused this for you. Since the beginning baking time is on the higher end for this loaf maybe you can try a lower baking temperature. Or maybe bake it using a lower rack. Did it rise properly? It also seems possible that the loaf formed a crust a bit too early so I’m wondering if the loaf was uncovered while it proofed before baking because it sounds like a “skin” might have formed on it. Happy to troubleshoot further if this doesn’t help.
I absolutely love this recipe and it’s really easy to make. I was just wondering if I could omit the raisins and cinnamon/sugar and use the recipe to make a sandwich loaf bread. If so, would I still put in the maple syrup or not? I’m wanting to make a loaf to take to work because we eat a lot of sandwiches lately because of the COVID19 and not being able to really go to a restaurant. I just thought it would be a nice change to the store bought bread we usually have. Thanks again for a great recipe!
Hi, Candi. I’m so glad you like this recipe and thanks for the feedback. The base of this recipe is a sourdough sandwich loaf so yes, you can totally do this. Here’s the link to the recipe in the blog. The maple syrup is in the original sandwich loaf recipe but you can leave it out if you like. There’s no noticeable sweetness. You can also substitute the spelt flour for whole wheat flour or just use all white flour. Hope this helps!
https://lemonsandanchovies.com/2015/04/sourdough-spelt-sandwich-bread/
Thank you so much for a very easy tasty recipe. I made my own raisins for the 1st time after have leftover grapes that no one eat & was thinking to do Raisins bread, lucky I found your recipe. My swirl are not visible so I’ll try to fox in next time
I would love to try this recipe, but I want to put my dutch oven to use! Do you think I could bake this loaf in a dutch oven if I alter the oven baking instructions to be more in line with artisan loaf that call for dutch ovens? Thanks!
Hi, Clare. Yes, that should work just fine. This is a lower hydration dough so it should be easy to work with without using a loaf pan. Please let me know how it goes. 🙂
Lovely recipe, lovely bread…..the whole family enjoyed it, thank you!
Hi, Vickie. Thanks for giving the recipe and I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it. It makes so much sense to use the raisin water–bet it made the bread better. Thank you!! 🙂
I did use the water from plumping raisins in the bread dough.
I would love to try this recipe. However, I do not have a scale. Could you please translate the grams to cups or teaspoons?
Hi, Carole. So glad you are interested in this recipe. I have only ever tried this recipe using the gram measurements but I found several gram to cups/ounces converters online. If it helps, here is another recipe in the blog that I recently converted from cups to grams so you can compare the amounts. I know we all measure cups differently so I hope this other recipe gives you an idea, along with a converter, of the amounts to use. I wanted to reply to you right away so I offer these suggestions but I will add the cup measurements the next time I prepare this loaf. Thank you!! 🙂
https://lemonsandanchovies.com/2020/03/sourdough-cinnamon-raisin-english-muffins/
Can’t wait to try this recipe. For health reasons I would like to cut down the sugar. Other than the taste, will it work if I cut down the sugar amount by 50%? Thanks.
Hi, Angie. Besides the 35 grams of maple syrup incorporated into the dough (which you can also reduce), you can feel free to use much less of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. In the recipe notes (printable recipe) I mentioned that I use only half this mixture for a subtle sweetness. Hope this helps. 🙂
This bread was incredible. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kendal. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your feedback. 🙂
A regular in my baking rotation. Your directions are very well written and explained. I may try dried blueberries and my homemade Meyer Lemon Marmalade in the swirl.
This is so nice to hear, Judy, thank you so much for the nice feedback. I also love the variation you are planning to make–love blueberries and lemon together! 🙂
This is my first attempt at this recipe. My dough came out very wet and I was therefore unable to roll it into a nice log. I did use a scale for measurements. Any idea why this would have happened?
Hi, Gina. Apologies for the late reply. Hope your loaf turned out fine? I haven’t had any issues with this recipe being too wet–would you happened to remember if it was a warm day when you prepared this? If all the measurements were correct I’m wondering if your loaf over fermented. Happy to answer questions if you have them.
Fabulous recipe, thank you very much, it is really easy to follow and can be completed in one day.
This is my third time making it, and it is gobbled up every time, hardly makes it to the toasting stage, I have to wrestle it away and into the freezer if I want a piece toasted!
Found you and the recipe on Pinterest, glad I did!
This is so nice to hear, thanks, Lorraine. I’m so glad your family likes this recipe and I really appreciate your feedback! 🙂
Finally made this today. Lovely and very straightforward directions! Ate it warm, so delicious! Want to try adding wheat flour!
Hi, Beth. So glad you liked this recipe and that you found the directions easy to follow. If you should have leftovers, they’re great toasted, too. 🙂 And adding whole wheat flour next time would work just fine. 🙂
Could you please convert the grams in this recipe to cups and tablespoons etc. thank you I really want to make this!!
I wanted to ask you if I could use whole-wheat flour instead. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Hi, Laura. My reply comes late and I wonder if you ended up using whole wheat? The answer is yes, you can use it. You would get a denser loaf but as long as you don’t mind it, it should work just fine.
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I LOVE it. I’ve made it many times for my own family, and I’ve also delivered a loaf to a friend at a funeral when I had no words but I could bake some love for her, I’ve brought a loaf to a new momma, I’ve brought loaves to neighbors during the pandemic. It’s wonderful and tastes like love.
So delicious! I really hit the jackpot when I found this as it is the only vegan sourdough cinnamon raisin loaf that I could find. I added mixed dried fruit and chopped dates as that’s all I had and it still worked amazingly 🙂
So glad you like this recipe, Chloe. Love your addition of mixed dried fruit and dates. Will have to try your version sometime! 🙂
Fabulous recipe, and I also used the full amount of Penzey’s cinnamon! My family LOVED it, and I am making another loaf today. I still need to work on my rolling and final shaping. I also tried topping with a bit of the sugar/cinnamon mixture, but that was not so successful. I’m thinking it would make great Xmas gifts for neighbors as well as a great Xmas breakfast. Thank you!
So glad you and your family have enjoyed this recipe, Staci! Thanks so much for your nice feedback! 🙂
I made this on Monday and am making another loaf. It was so good, I’m already thinking of people who would love it! I’m new to sourdough baking and this was an easy, fun recipe. My husband doesn’t like raisins but asked me to bake another loaf. We’re going to make french toast with it.
Hi, Nicki. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a chance and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Your husband sounds like mine, too. He says he doesn’t like raisins but he’ll happily eat them in this loaf and a few other sweet treats. 🙂
I just made this for the sole purpose of making it in to French toast and oh boy. It is amazing. My family declared it the best ever. My 6yo even said “can you teach me the recipe when I’m grown up so I can make it for my family?” So sweet.
I doubled the recipe and totally messed up the schedule but it still turned out beautifully. My kitchen is about 66 degrees and I let it bulk ferment for 5 hours (oops) then shaped and refrigerated over night. It sat at room temp for 45 minutes before baking and used a probe thermometer to make sure it cooked to the proper temp. Once cool I sliced and lightly toasted before putting in the French toast batter. It has the most perfect texture, flavor and crunch!
Thank you for sharing! I’ll be back making this many times!
Christen, so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe and please thank your six year old for me–so sweet!!
Hi. I just wanted to thank you for this recipe and let you know I have made it many times over the last several months. I have made it for a friend after she had her second baby, I made it as a thank you for a neighbor, I’ve made it several times for my own family, and I made it once for a dear friend who was grieving a huge loss. Bread can’t take away pain, but it sure can make someone feel loved. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi – I am excited to make this: what if any changes should I consider if making it as a boule rather than a loaf (I don’t have a loaf pan). Many thanks!
Hi, Sophie. If shaping this into a boule I would just shape after bulk then bake. 🙂
Great recipe! I wonder if it is vital to use such a big amount of starter. I am asking because I have not seen a recipe with so much starter in proportion to the flour.
Hi, Angela. Good question. No, you don’t have to use this much starter. It might just take a little longer for bulk fermentation. I adapted this recipe using my first sourdough sandwich bread recipe which was based on another recipe and which was based on a King Arthur recipe that was intended for sourdough discard so it used up a lot of starter. I just haven’t changed the proportions. 🙂
Are you saying if you decrease the amount of starter you don’t need to adjust the amounts of flour and water? I have 25% less starter and assumed I should decrease everything by 25%, but you’re saying that’s not necessary just adjust the bulk fermentation time?
Hi, Ann. Yes, that’s right. Sourdough bread uses bakers percentage in calculating ingredient amounts and they’re always expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. Typically, the starter amount used in most recipes is roughly 20% of total flour weight. This is calculated a little differently depending on which recipe you follow but the strictest measure is to take the total flour in the recipe including the flour in the starter (some people exclude the water and flour amounts in the starter but this is the most accurate measure). In this particular recipe, the starter amount is over 40% of the total flour weight, well more than most recipes as the original loaf where I’ve based this recipe was designed to use up sourdough discard. For my other loaves I generally stick to a 20% starter amount.
So you can adjust the percentage of starter you use in the recipe relative to the total flour weight without adjusting the flour amount. However, this will also affect the hydration percentage so it’s something to keep in mind if you’re a newer sourdough baker. More importantly, a changed starter amount will affect bulk fermentation time. All other things being equal, less starter means longer bulk and more starter means shorter bulk time. Hope this makes sense. Happy to answer more specific questions if you’re thinking of making adjustments to this recipe.
I am a newbie to sourdough baking, and I baked this this morning! It is Amazing! Great step by step instructions, and so delicious!
Thankyou for sharing this recipe!
Hi, Grace. welcome to the joys of sourdough baking! Thanks for trying this recipe and I’m so glad it worked for you. I really appreciate the feedback! 🙂
I’m rating this before completion. It came together very easily, but my dough seems quite wet. It’s been in the oven set to “proof” (100 degrees) for an hour and doesn’t look like it has risen at all. My starter was just beginning to fall, but still very active. I almost added a teaspoon of instant yeast just to be sure it would rise, but decided to make per recipe. I will be patient and leave it for another couple hours with fingers crossed. My husband is expecting “perfect” raisin bread. I told him this is not your local grocery store bakery!! 🙂
Hi, Karen. I hope this recipe worked for you. If you have questions, happy to help! 🙂
Great recipe! It was easy to follow and execute. I forgot to score and it still came out great. Love the soft crumb, I will make again!
This is so nice to hear, Lauren. So glad you liked this recipe–and the soft crumb is one of my favorites about this recipe too. Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback. 🙂
This bread is a favorite in our house. I make it often and always have some in the freezer for a treat whenever we want it. I like to slice the loaf and put a small piece of wax paper between the slices then put it in a freezer bag in the freezer this way we pull out a slice and toast it.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Beth, this is wonderful to hear and what a great idea. So glad you like this recipe. I have to admit it’s also one of my favorites! Thank you for the nice feedback!
I was wondering if this could be cooked in a preheated Dutch oven?
Hi, Ashlee. Do you mean as a boule or batard without the loaf pan? It should work. I’ve never done it for this bread but it should be fine. 🙂
Hi
Can I sprinkle some of the sugar cinnamon mixture on top the dough just before baking?
Thanks:)
Hi, Monique. Yes, this should be okay. 🙂
Hi. I love this recipe! I love that it’s in a loaf pan- get more good size slices than a boule;)
I have a question about baking in a loaf pan- should it be covered with another loaf pan and a bit of mist for a crunchier crust?
Thanks:)
Hi, Monique. I do sometimes mist the top of the dough before baking to help with oven spring but I’v not had to cover it. The top does get a nice crust but I usually end up putting any leftover bread in a bag so I lose the crunchy crust. I slice and toast the next day. 🙂
This bread is now my favorite cinnamon raisin bread. I did use milk instead of water because I wanted a softer crust. I also uses 1Tlb of cinnamon because we like a lot of it. It is nice and soft and easy to make. I like that I started it this morning and ate a piece tonight.
So glad you like this recipe, Shelley. Thank you so much for your nice feedback. 🙂
What percentage should we let the dough raise approximately during BF?
Hi, Shelley. On warmer days, maybe 60-80% and on cooler days (below 70ºF), you can let double. This recipe is forgiving so no need to worry. 🙂