CLASSIC CINNAMON RAISIN SOURDOUGH
Cinnamon raisin is a big favorite in my family, especially with my Dad, so when I first started baking sourdough bread making a cinnamon raisin loaf was a no brainer. It’s become a staple that I make almost every weekend. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned sourdough baker this is an easy recipe that results in a simply delicious loaf.
Classic Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough
Ingredients
- 300 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
- 200 grams whole wheat flour
- 375 grams water
- 100 grams active starter
- 10 grams fine sea salt
- 8 grams cinnamon
- 25 grams clover honey
- 140 grams raisins, soaked
Instructions
- Perform an autolyse. Add the all-purpose and whole wheat flours along with 375 grams of water to a medium bowl. Using your hands mix until the flour has been fully incorporated. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Mix the dough. After the lapsed autolysing period add in the active starter and mix, again with your hands, until the dough is smooth. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes. Add the fine sea salt, cinnamon and clover honey. Mix until the ingredients have been fully incorporated and you can no longer feel the salt granules.
- Bulk fermentation. Once the dough is mixed, you’ll need to perform a series of folds with the first fold being performed 30 minutes after the final dough has been mixed. Using damp hands reach under the dough and stretch the dough upwards before folding it over to the other side. This is called a stretch and fold. Continue this process working around the bowl. This completes one ‘fold’. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes. After the first fold add the raisins to a small or medium sized bowl and fill the bowl with water so that the raisins are completely submerged. Let the raisins soak until you are ready to complete the second fold. When the dough is ready for its second fold, approximately 30 minutes after the first, drain the raisons in preparation for the lamination (second) fold. Remove the dough from its bowl and place it on a smooth service, such as the countertop or large cutting board. Stretch the dough into a rectangular shape with the longer sides going horizontally. Place 1/3 of the raisins in the middle third of the dough. Fold over the right third layer over the middle, covering the raisins, and add another 1/3 of the raisins. Fold the left third over the center. Place ½ of the remaining raisins in the middle of the dough and fold up the bottom side. Add the remaining raisins to the middle of the dough and fold over the top (and final) layer of dough. Place the dough back into the bowl/container. Let rest for 30 minutes. Complete two more stretch and folds, each separated by 30 minutes. In total the folding process will take approximately 2 hours. After the fourth fold cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 4-6 hours until the dough has just about doubled and air bubbles are beginning to come to the surface.
- Preshape the dough. Once bulk fermentation has concluded the dough needs to be pre-shared. Begin by turning the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using the envelope method first lightly grab the bottom edge of the dough, slightly stretch it outwards before folding it upward. Repeat this process with all four edges of your dough. Using a bench scrapper flip the dough so that it is seam side down and let it bench rest for 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare your proofing basket or banneton by dusting it liberally with flour or lining it with a tea towel.
- Shape the dough. After the bench rest period use the bench scrapper to flip the dough so that it is now seam side is up. Repeat the envelope method trying to create as much tension in the loaf as possible without tearing the dough. Again, using the bench scrapper flip the dough seam side down.
- Final proof. Once the dough has been shaped place it in the prepared proofing basket and refrigerate for 12 to 15 hours.
- Bake. Place your Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 500°F (or as hot as your oven will go). Once the oven is heated to the desired temperature continue to preheat the Dutch oven for 1 hour. Before baking turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and score the top. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven, reduce heat to 450°F and bake uncovered another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 205°F or higher.