The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Sourdough cinnamon raisin bread that is deliciously soft, scented with cinnamon and studded with raisins.

This sourdough cinnamon raisin bread 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 a sourdough version. A sourdough cinnamon raisin bread has always been on a front runner to try.

It has taken me a wee while to get it 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.

The Sourdough Cinnamon Bread

So, it's a little bit in between. 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.

It's a two-day process again but unlike the brioche and hot cross buns, there is no heavy kneading required.

This makes two standard loaves. I use 2 x 8x4inch/21x11cm loaf tins.

I like to slice and freeze one, so we can easily grab a couple of pieces to pop in the toaster.

The Sourdough Starter

On day one I feed my starter in the morning, at a 1:2:2 ratio so I can use it between 4-6 hours later. 35g seed starter, 70g flour and 70g water give an approximate total of 175g starter.

The recipe needs 150g, so once I've used that, the remaining starter is fed again and placed in the fridge until the next time I bake.

The step for day one (not including the starter) is only 4 hours long before it goes in the fridge for the night. So there is no rush to start the process early in the day.

The Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Dough Method

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients of the dough together. I find combining it by hand I find easiest until the butter has been worked in.

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. Then place it in a clean dish.

Now it bulk ferments for 4 hours. During this time perform 6 sets of folds in the first three hours, one set every 30 minutes.

How the dough is folded doesn't matter, a traditional stretch and fold works well or a coil fold is fine, just something to bring some structure to the dough. I tend to stick to my favourite coil fold method even though this dough is quite bulky which can make it a little tricky as it strengthens over time.

The picture below is after the first fold.

Once the dough strengthens and it becomes quite bulky, I end up lifting it up and swinging the bottom of the dough down, then folding it over.

After the 3 hours is up, leave the dough to bulk for another hour. Then cover the dough dish with an upside plate or a lid and place in the fridge until morning.

Shaping the Sourdough Fruit Bread

The dough is removed from the fridge and pulled out of the bowl, onto a clean bench and split into two equal portions.

On a lightly floured bench, stretch out one piece of dough into a rectangle. Fold the top ⅓ down to the middle, then fold the bottom ⅓ up, like a pamphlet.

Turn the dough 90 degrees and gently flatten it out a bit, then repeat the folding process. This makes a little log. Roll it out to extend it a bit then place it in a lined loaf tin. Repeat with the remaining dough piece.

Now the dough needs to proof and double. This can take between 4-6 hours depending on the warmth of your room.

If your kitchen is cool, create a warm spot for this process to speed it up, such as a lightly preheated then turned off oven.

Baking the Sourdough Fruit Bread

Once it has risen, heat the oven to 200 °C fan-bake (220°C regular oven).

Brush the tops of the sourdough cinnamon raisin bread loaves with milk.

Bake the loaves for 35 minutes until deep golden brown on the top. When the bread is removed from the tins it should feel light and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.

Have you made this Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread? Tag me and let me know! @home_grown_happinessnz

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

Want more sourdough recipes? Why not try these soft sourdough dinner rolls!