Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough with Perfect Swirls (So Soft)

Cinnamon raisin sourdough bread is the perfect solution, blending the tangy notes of sourdough with the sweet, warm flavors of cinnamon and plump raisins. In this article, we’ll break down the process step-by-step, giving you the confidence to create an impressive loaf at home. Discover how easy it is to elevate your baking game and delight your loved ones with this comforting treat.

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Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

• Bread flour: Bread flour is best when it comes to making sourdough bread. The higher protein percentage in flour gives the dough its strength so that it can rise to great heights and give you the best results. However, you can use all-purpose flour as a 1:1 substitute.
• Water: Use room temperature, filtered water for consistent results.
• Sourdough starter: This recipe calls for an active and bubbly sourdough starter. 
• Salt: Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s unrefined salt for some extra minerals!

Filling

• Unsalted butter: For the easiest mixing and spreading, be sure to use softened, room-temperature butter. 
• Brown Sugar: Brings a touch of caramel-like sweetness to the bread. 
• All-purpose flour: Sugar draws out moisture from your dough. Adding all-purpose flour to the cinnamon sugar filling helps to prevent a lot of leakage during your second rise/cold-proof.
• Cinnamon: If you prefer a sugar-free loaf, skip the cinnamon sugar filling and instead sprinkle ground cinnamon on the dough using the lamination technique during shaping.

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Supplies

• Large bowl
• Kitchen Scale
• Bowl scraper (optional)
• Banneton Basket (proofing bowl) or small mixing bowl and tea towel
• Danish Dough Whisk 
• Dutch Oven
• Parchment Paper
• Lame / Razor blade / Sharp knife
• Tea towel, plastic wrap, or what I like to use, a reusable shower cap

Baker’s schedule #1

DAY 1

Feed starter before bed in a 1:4:4 ratio (ex. 10g starter /40g flour /40g water)

DAY 2

9 am: Mix Ingredients

9:30 – 11:30 am: Stretch and fold every 30 minutes

9 pm: Preshape

9:30 pm: Inclusions, shape and place in the fridge

DAY 3

Score and bake in the morning

This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower temperatures will lengthen the process.

Baker’s schedule # 2

DAY 1

Feed starter so that it’s active, bubbly, and at its peak (4-12 hours before mixing dough)

8 pm – Mix Ingredients

8:30 – 10:00 pm – Stretch and fold every 30 minutes

DAY 2

8 am – Preshape

8:30 am – Inclusions, shape and place in the fridge

Score and bake in the evening

How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl, add the active sourdough starter and room-temperature filtered water. Mix with a Danish dough whisk or with your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.

Then, add the bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will look shaggy, not like a uniform dough ball. This is also a higher hydration dough, so the dough will seem sticker and eventually more elastic than compared to my Beginner’s Sourdough Loaf recipe. This is due to the higher amount of water in the dough and totally normal. 

Flour

I love the depth of flavor that whole wheat flour brings to this sourdough bread, however, you can skip the whole wheat flour and substitute it for more bread flour. If you do, I would reduce the water from 400g to 350g, as well.

Cover the bowl with a reusable shower cap and let the dough rest for at least a half hour before you move on to the next step.

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Inclusions

While the dough rests, prepare your raisins. You can add dried raisins as they are, but I prefer plumping them up beforehand. 

To do so, add the raisins to a bowl and cover them with boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Once plump, drain the raisins and thoroughly pat them dry. 

For even more flavor, try adding vanilla extract to the boiling water while your raisins soak!

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Stretch and folds

After thirty minutes, remove the cover. With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the bowl. Then pour the raisins on top.

Now, with slightly wet hands, reach down to the bottom of the bowl, grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above itself. Then fold it over on top of the dough. Remember, the dough will feel stickier and more elastic, this is to be expected.

Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretch and fold. Repeat the process until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before.

As you continue to stretch and fold the dough, the raisins will continue to be evenly mixed. 

Cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the same stretch and folds 3 more times, for a total of 4 sets. Cover the dough and wait for at least 30 minutes of rest in between each set. 

Once you have completed the final set of stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it rest for the remainder of the bulk fermentation, about 9-11 more hours if the dough is kept at 68-70 degrees F.

Bulk fermentation

Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.

In an environment of 68-70 degrees F, doughs will typically bulk ferment for 9-11 hours more after the stretch and folds, but again, you will have to look for the signs that your dough is done fermenting, rather than the clock. Warmer temperatures will be faster, while cooler temperatures will be slower.

Here’s what to look for:

• The dough should have increased in size by at least 75% and be domed on top.
• The dough looks light, and jiggles when the bowl is shaken.
• The dough should easily pull away from the bowl.
• There should be visible bubbles in the dough and on top.
• The dough doesn’t tear when you do a windowpane test

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Pre-shape

With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles!

Tilt the bowl and leave gravity to do the work to move the dough on the counter.

Shape the dough by doing another round of stretch and folds until you have gone full circle.

With a bench scraper or your hands, turn the dough upside down, so the seam is now on the counter. Cover the dough with the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

While you are waiting for the dough to rest, prepare your proofing basket. This can either be a banneton or a small mixing bowl lined with a tea towel. The purpose of this proofing basket is to keep the tight shape that you will create, so make sure you are using a standard bowl that is small enough to help keep the shape.

Doughs with cinnamon sugar fillings are notorious for leaking. Therefore, I like to line my bannetons with at least 2 clean tea towels, just in case. Otherwise, dust the banneton or the tea towel with flour (most will say to use rice flour, but I have used just regular all-purpose flour) to prevent sticking.

Cinnamon Filling

Add the softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. This can be done with a hand mixer. 

To the butter, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix on medium/low speed for about 2 minutes, or until the ingredients are combined and a paste is formed.

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Final shape

After 30 minutes of rest, flip the dough, with the seamed side up.

Gently stretch the dough into a large rectangle, about 10 x 11 inches (does not need to be exact), this is called the lamination technique. Refer to the pictures above. Be careful not to stretch any sections of the dough too thinly, as the raisins and cinnamon sugar will break through.

Spread half of the cinnamon sugar filling over the top of the dough, leaving at least an inch perimeter around the dough without the filling. This helps to seal the dough when shaping.

Next, take the left side of the dough and fold it towards the middle. Spread 1/2 of the remaining cinnamon filling on top of this new section.

Finally, take the right side of the dough and fold that towards the middle on top of the last section, like a tri-fold. Spread the remaining cinnamon filling on top. 

Now, roll up the dough, starting with the part of the dough closest to you.

For a boule shape, gently cup your hands around the dough ball. Turn the ball in a clockwise motion about a quarter turn and then softly pull the dough towards you. Do this repeatedly until you see the dough form a tighter and more round shape. With a bench scraper or just your hands, carefully scope up the dough and lay it upside down (seam side up) into your tea towel-lined/floured proofing basket and cover it with a plastic bag or a shower cap.

For a batard shape, pinch the seams of each end close, then gently place the rolled up dough into the prepared banneton (seam side up). Cover it with plastic bag or a shower cap.

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Cold proof 

Place your proofing basket in the fridge to cold proof for 8-72 hours.

Placing your dough in the fridge slows down the fermentation process, which deepens the flavors of your loaf. It also gives you flexibility in when you want to bake your bread.

But don’t wait too long! If left in the fridge for too long, your dough will over-ferment, causing the dough to not be able to rise while baking.

Score

Thirty minutes before baking, place the dough in the freezer. The cooler temperatures tighten up the dough which helps with the scoring design.

At the same time, place your Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Allow the Dutch oven to preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment paper on your workspace and gently flip the banneton upside down over the parchment paper. Since you dusted the banneton, your dough should slowly release and fall onto the parchment paper, landing in the middle with the floured side facing up.

With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score a crescent moon shape on top of the dough. This is necessary for your bread to be able to expand while baking.

Grab the corners of the parchment paper and carefully place the Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin dough into your preheated Dutch Oven and cover with the lid.

Reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake the Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid of the Dutch oven, reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to bake the bread for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F with the lid off. Keep an eye on the cinnamon sugar filling. If it is browning too much, cover the loaf with aluminum foil while the bread continues to bake.

Once golden brown, remove the Dutch Oven from your oven. 

Using the corners of the parchment paper, lift the sourdough bread out of the Dutch oven and place it onto a wire rack to cool.

Allow your homemade bread to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into it. (I know!! How can you possibly wait when it looks and smells so good?! But trust me, if you cut in too soon, your masterpiece will turn mushy and gummy.) 

In the meantime, listen to your loaf “sing” its little tune to you with every crinkle and crack!

Once the hour is up, slice into your work of art, slather on some butter and enjoy!

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Serving Ideas:

Slice the cooled loaf thickly and toast until golden for the best texture, enhancing the cinnamon aroma and raisin chew. Spread with salted butter, cream cheese, or nut butter: it also excels in French toast or sandwiches.​

Storage Tips:

Keep unsliced loaves in an airtight bag or bread bag at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, toasting slices before eating. For longer storage, freeze whole or sliced (with parchment between slices) for up to 3-4 months, then thaw and toast directly.​

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For More Guidance:

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Flour:

You’ll fall in love with this Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread recipe not just for its rich flavors, but for the delightful aroma that fills your kitchen as it bakes. The combination of warm cinnamon, plump raisins, and tangy sourdough creates a perfect harmony that dances on your palate.

Inclusions:

This Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread recipe is a delightful fusion of tangy sourdough and sweet, warm spices, elevating your baking game to an entirely new level. The inclusion of plump raisins not only adds a burst of sweetness but also introduces a chewy texture that beautifully contrasts with the crusty exterior of the bread. As it bakes, a tantalizing aroma wafts through your kitchen, making it nearly impossible to resist slicing into a warm loaf right out of the oven.

Swirl:

This recipe takes the classic sourdough to new heights with a luscious swirl of cinnamon sugar and plump raisins, creating a delightful contrast to the bread’s tangy crust. Each bite is not just a taste but a nostalgic journey, evoking memories of lazy Sunday mornings and adventures in a bustling kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

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