I wasn’t actually planning to make cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. I was going to make my regular same-day loaf, started thinking about cinnamon and raisins, and, well. You know how that goes.

The first cinnamon raisin loaf was a bit of an experiment. I used cold, but active starter straight from the fridge, added the raisins during the folds, and then waited. And waited. Four hours into bulk fermentation, the dough was still sitting there looking pretty stiff and unimpressive.

Eventually, it got there though. And once I baked and sliced it? Well, it was surprisingly good. Really good, actually. The raisins were evenly distributed, the cinnamon made these pretty little ribbons through the bread, and the crumb was way better than I expected after spending most of the afternoon questioning every decision I’d made up to that point, haha.

But of course I needed to make it again. So the next morning I tried the same loaf with freshly fed starter that was right around peak. There it was.

The dough fermented faster, the crumb was lighter and more open, and I didn’t spend half the day staring into a bowl wondering if anything was happening. Much better. This is the version we’re keeping.

This is basically my regular same-day sourdough bread with raisins folded into the dough and cinnamon brown sugar layered in during shaping. That’s really it. You can start it in the morning and have cinnamon raisin bread by dinner.

Or maybe toast it the next morning and use a completely unreasonable amount of salted butter. That’s probably a better plan, haha.

download our free

Meal Planner & Grocery List

dinner made easy

Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

It’s everything I want cinnamon raisin bread to be. Soft and chewy inside, plenty of raisins in every slice, and thin ribbons of cinnamon brown sugar goodness running all through the loaf.

And because the raisins go in during the folds instead of at shaping, they’re actually spread throughout the bread instead of all ending up in one weird raisin neighborhood.

Ingredient Notes

• For this one, I strongly recommend using freshly fed starter that’s at or near peak. I tested the loaf with cold active starter too, and it worked, but it took considerably longer to ferment. For a truly same-day loaf, active, bubbly starter makes the timing much more predictable.
• Bread flour gives the dough the strength it needs to hold its shape and support the raisins. It’s also what I use for my regular same-day sourdough, so there’s no need to reinvent anything here.
• I like about 70–90 grams. Soaking them briefly in hot water plumps them up and keeps them from pulling moisture out of the dough. And if you want a little more flavor, add a splash of vanilla extract to the water while they’re soaking. Just make sure they’re very well drained and dried before adding them to the bread. We’re going to add them during shaping rather than mixing them into the dough though.
• Use a good, high-quality cinnamon for this loaf. It’s the primary flavor, so make it count. Cinnamon can slow fermentation when there’s enough of it in direct contact with the yeast, so make sure not to add any to the dough. We’ll layer it in at the end with some brown sugar to give us those pretty cinnamon ribbons.

13″ Oval Roasting Pan

This small, lightweight roasting pan is ideal for baking loaves of sourdough bread.

shop this

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Add the active sourdough starter and water to a large bowl and stir until mostly combined. Add the bread flour and salt and mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms and there are no obvious pockets of dry flour.
   • Now get your hands in there. Knead the dough by hand right in the bowl for about 5 minutes. It’ll start out sticky and a little unruly, but as you work it, you’ll feel it become smoother, stronger, and less interested in attaching itself permanently to your fingers. This little bit of early gluten development has made a noticeable difference in my same-day loaves, so don’t skip it.
   • Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
2. Perform the first set of stretch and folds by grabbing one side of the dough, gently stretching it upward, and folding it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you’ve worked your way around the dough. You can also do a slap and fold here, if that’s your jam (me). Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough rests, put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with hot water and a splash of vanilla extract (if using, but why wouldn’t you?). Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Spread them onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat them very dry. Wet raisins are plump and lovely; however, wet raisin water in your sourdough is gross and not something we need.
4. For the second set of folds, gently stretch the dough and scatter some of the raisins over the surface as you work. Fold the dough over the raisins, rotate the bowl, add a few more, and continue until they’re incorporated throughout the dough. Don’t worry if a few raisins try to escape (they will, haha). Just tuck them back in. Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
5. Complete two more sets of stretch and folds (or slap and folds, my fave), about 30 minutes apart, for a total of four sets. By the last set, the dough should feel noticeably stronger and smoother than it did when you started. Mission accomplished.

6. Cover the dough and let it bulk ferment in a warm spot for approximately 4–5 hours. And I do mean approximately. Sourdough does not own a watch. The temperature of your kitchen, the temperature of the dough, and how active your starter was when you began can all change the timeline. Instead of shaping strictly because four hours have passed, look at the dough. It should have noticeably increased in volume, look puffier and slightly domed, show some bubbles around the sides or surface, and have a light jiggle when you gently shake the bowl. If it still feels stiff and dense, give it more time. If your kitchen is really cold (under 70ºF), you may need 6 or more hours, it just depends.
7. Turn the fermented dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently preshape it into a round. You don’t need to go crazy with the tension here. We’re going to handle it again shortly, so just give it enough structure to hold its shape. Let the dough rest uncovered on the counter for 30 minutes. This gives the gluten a chance to relax before final shaping, which makes it much easier to stretch the dough without fighting with it.
8. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. After the 30-minute bench rest, gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle. Try not to press out all the air you’ve spent the last several hours creating. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Gently press it into the surface with your fingertips. Fold and shape the dough into a boule, creating good surface tension without squeezing out too much air. If you see raisins poking through the outside, just tuck them back into the dough. They’ll burn quickly in the oven if they’re exposed (it happens, but do your best). Place the shaped loaf seam-side up in a floured banneton and cover.
9. Place the covered banneton in the freezer for 30 minutes. This firms the dough enough to make it easier to turn out and score without turning this into an overnight sourdough situation. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and Dutch oven or small roasting pan to 450°F.
10. Turn the chilled dough onto parchment paper. Score the loaf with a sharp bread lame, knife, or razor. If you see a raisin directly in your scoring path, work around it if you can. They’re delicious, but they’re not particularly cooperative with razor blades. Transfer the loaf to the hot Dutch oven or small roasting pan. Cover and bake at 450°F for 25–30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown. A few exposed raisins may get very dark. That’s totally normal.
11. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing. I know, I know. But cinnamon sugar creates soft layers inside the bread, and cutting into it while it’s piping hot can make the crumb seem gummy even when the loaf is properly baked. Just give it a minute.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Use starter at or near peak. Cold starter can work, I did test it, but freshly fed, active starter gave me much better and more predictable fermentation. Especially if we’re trying to get this bread made before bedtime.
• Add the raisins during the folds. This gave me the best raisin distribution by far. I add them during the second set so the dough gets one good round of gluten development first.
• Dry the raisins really well. And I mean really well. Soaking them is helpful. Dumping a bunch of extra raisin water into your dough is not.
• Save the cinnamon sugar for shaping. I tried very hard not to interfere with fermentation any more than necessary, so the cinnamon brown sugar goes in at the end. Bonus…this is what gives you those pretty cinnamon ribbons throught the loaf.
• Don’t let the clock boss you around during bulk fermentation. Four to five hours is a guideline, not a deadline. If the dough still looks dense and isn’t showing much movement, it probably needs more time. I’ve had to let this one go for 6 hours on a cool day before. The timer does not get the final say here.
• Tuck in any exposed raisins. Those little guys will burn against a screaming-hot Dutch oven. Just poke them back into the dough before baking.
• Don’t get carried away with the cinnamon sugar. I know. More cinnamon sugar feels like the right answer. But too much can make the layers of dough separate around the filling and leave you with giant gaps in the loaf. A thin, even layer is plenty.
• If you’re new to sourdough baking, I put all of my favorite sourdough supplies in one place for you, so you can see exactly what I actually use.

Storage & Freezing Recommendations

Once completely cool, store the cinnamon raisin sourdough bread at room temperature in a bread bag, bread box, or bread cloche. It’s best during the first couple of days, although cinnamon raisin sourdough has one major advantage over regular bread, when it starts getting a little older, you just toast it. Problem solved, haha.

For longer storage, slice the completely cooled loaf and freeze it in a freezer-safe bag. You can pull out individual slices and toast them straight from frozen.

You can also freeze the loaf whole. Wrap it well, place it inside a freezer bag, and freeze. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped so condensation stays on the wrapping instead of drying out the bread.

Same-Day Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

By: Kristine Underwood

Soft and chewy same-day sourdough filled with plump raisins and ribbons of cinnamon brown sugar. Made with active starter and baked the same day, no overnight cold proof required.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Email SaveSaved!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Rest & Rise Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Bread & Muffins

Cuisine American

Servings 14 slices

Calories 159 kcal

Equipment

• 6 quart Dutch oven
• Or 13" loaf pan
• Food scale

Ingredients

• 100 g sourdough starter (active, but not necessarily at peak)
• 350 g water (room temperature, not cold)
• 500 g bread flour
• 11 g fine sea salt or pink Himalayan salt (may reduce to taste)
• 80 g raisins
• 2 TBS brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Stir the sourdough starter and water together in a large bowl. Add the bread flour and salt and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be rough and shaggy.
  100 g sourdough starter, 350 g water, 500 g bread flour, 11 g fine sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
• Using your hand, knead the dough right in the bowl for about 5 minutes. It will start out sticky but should gradually become smoother, stronger, and less sticky. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
• With damp hands, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat for a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
  80 g raisins
• After the final stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rise for about 4–5 hours, or until it has noticeably increased in volume, looks airy and slightly domed, has visible bubbles, and jiggles when the bowl is gently moved.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and gently shape it into a loose round. Let it rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar, and lightly press it into the dough.
  2 TBS brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Fold and shape into a boule, tucking exposed raisins inside. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton. Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven or covered roasting pan inside.
• Turn the chilled dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the top with a bread lame, sharp knife, or razor blade.
• Carefully lower the dough and parchment into the hot pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

• The rest and rise time accounts for the 30 minute initial rest, 1 1/2 hours between stretch-and-fold sets, roughly 4–5 hours of bulk fermentation, 30 minute bench rest, and 20–30 minute freezer rest.
• Your starter should be active, bubbly, and have risen after feeding, but it does not have to be exactly at peak.
• I use 350 g for a beginner-friendly dough that’s easier to handle. Once you’re comfortable with sourdough, you can increase the water to 360 g for a slightly higher-hydration loaf.
• Use the 4–5 hours as a guideline, not a rule. A warm kitchen will ferment faster and a cold kitchen may take longer. Watch the dough, not the clock.
• If your kitchen is cool, place the covered dough in your turned-off oven with just the oven light on during bulk fermentation.
• Soaking the raisins keeps them plump and prevents them from pulling moisture from the dough. Drain and dry them very well before adding.
• For a cleaner crumb without large gaps around the cinnamon swirl, use a thin, even layer of cinnamon sugar and gently press it into the dough before shaping.
• Tuck exposed raisins into the dough during shaping to prevent them from burning.
• The 20–30 minute freezer rest firms up the dough and makes it much easier to score. It should be chilled, not frozen solid.
• Don’t slice the loaf while it’s hot. Give it at least an hour for the crumb to finish setting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 309mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg