This sourdough cinnamon raisin bread is a fluffy sourdough bread with a swirl of cinnamon and raisins. The grains are fermented to give it that delicious tang and the added health benefits. It is the perfect snack or dessert.
If you know me well, you know I love my sourdough. I use it to make our Saturday morning pancakes, whole grain bread, dinner rolls, tortillas, and so much more.
You can find all my sourdough recipes located in this convenient post.
Before yeast was isolated and sold in little packets, sourdough starter was a valuable commodity in homes and families; it was passed down for generations.
Have you ever heard of phytic acid?
Basically, it’s an antinutrient found in grains, beans, and nuts that interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients. Phytic acid is present on grains to keep them from spoiling.
There is a reason antinutrients are there, but there is also good evidence that our bodies weren’t meant to handle them.
Proper preparation of grains eliminates most, if not all, of the phytic acid in offending foods.
This is the very reason traditional cultures soaked and fermented their grains, seeds, and beans.
These days we’ve lost that art. And what have we found? People can’t handle grains anymore.
Natural Yeasts… Sourdough Starter
Instead of using instant yeast packets, people in traditional cultures leavened their bread with a fermented starter that captured all the yeasts in the environment.
AKA Sourdough starter.
Locally made sourdough starter, with the native yeasts of the area present, is certainly the thing a foodie’s dreams are made of.
A jar of healthy, productive starter is teeming with life, as evidenced by all the bubbles you will see rising to the surface.
Once you’ve experienced homemade sourdough baked goods, store bought breads and pancakes simply won’t cut it.
Sourdough has a depth of flavor that just can’t be found in something made quickly with a packet of instant yeast.
With the slightly sour flavor from the natural fermentation process, plus cinnamon and the slight sweetness of raisins, everyone will love this sourdough raisin bread recipe.
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Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread Ingredients
Freshly ground wheat or all-purpose: I use a Nutrimill to grind fresh wheat berries. You could substitute for store-bought flour, but the amount you use may change a bit.
Active sourdough starter: This is starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before baking, and is nice and bubbly. Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch here.
Melted coconut oil – You could also substitute this for another mild oil like avocado oil.
Salt: This is a critical ingredient for a delicious recipe. Without it, your bread will be lacking flavor.
Honey: Adds just the right amount of natural sweetness.
Water: I always use watered filtered through my Berkey water filter. High chlorinated water can kill the yeast in sourdough starter.
Cinnamon: You can’t have cinnamon raisin bread without rich and warm flavors of cinnamon.
Raisins: Soaked in water to rehydrate them so they are nice and chewy rather than hard.
Brown sugar: This is an optional ingredient, but really delicious when you add it to the cinnamon and sugar. Adds another layer of sweetness and flavor. Just like in these sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Tips For Making Sourdough Raisin Bread:
- A stand mixer makes this process way easier.
- Start this recipe the night before, then the next day you have a lot less work to do. Just roll, spread cinnamon raisin mixture, roll, rise and bake. It’s like half the work done making the process easier.
- Make sure to cover the dough with a tight cover to help prevent a hard, crust forming on the dough. If this does happen, you can work it back into the dough, but it may affect the finished product.
Tools you may need:
Grain mill- I love my Nutrimill to grind wheat berries into fresh flour. This is optional, but I highly recommend if you are planning to do a lot of baking.
Loaf pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Rolling pin
How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- The night before you want to make your bread, combine the flour, starter, oil, salt, honey, and water in a large bowl. Knead the dough until it is stretchy. (about 10- 15 minutes with a stand mixer)
- I use a mixer with a dough hook for this. You can knead it by hand, but if you plan to make bread regularly, a stand mixer is a great investment for the time it saves.
- Add just enough flour so that it pulls away from the sides of the mixer, or is not sticking to your hands.
- It will vary between 6 and 7 cups, depending on the hydration of the starter and the type of wheat you use.
- Add a little more water if it is too dry, or flour if it is too wet.
- Divide the dough into two even balls and place each in a glass bowl greased with coconut oil. Roll the dough around a bit so that the entire ball is lightly coated with coconut oil. Cover the dough with a beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, and let it rise overnight, or about eight hours.
- Also, the night before, get the raisins soaking in one cup of hot water.
- The next day, roll each ball of dough out into a large rectangle until they are about ½” thick, onto a lightly floured work space.
- Drain the raisins, and place in a bowl.
- Sprinkle soaked raisins with cinnamon sugar mixture (or just cinnamon if omitting sugar).
- Starting from one side, roll the dough up tightly and pinch in the ends.
- Place the dough into a greased loaf pan, and allow it to double in size. This should take anywhere from 4-8 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
- Bake the bread for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
Check Out More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:
- Lemon Sourdough Pound Cake
- Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes
- Sourdough Pizza Crust
- Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Crepes
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
This sourdough cinnamon raisin bread is the perfect healthy treat. With natural sugar, fermented grains and whole ingredients, it can be served for both breakfast and for a snack.
Ingredients
- 6-7 cups freshly ground wheat or all purpose
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup hot water for soaking raisins
- 1/2 brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- The night before you want to make your bread, combine the flour, starter, oil, salt, honey, and water in a large bowl. Knead the dough until it is stretchy, about 10-15 minutes with a stand mixer (see note below).
- Divide the dough into two even balls and place each in a glass bowl greased with coconut oil. Roll the dough around a bit so that the entire ball is lightly coated with coconut oil. Cover the dough with a beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, and let it rise overnight, or at least eight hours.
- Get the raisins soaking in one cup of hot water the night before.
- The next day, roll each ball of dough out into a large rectangle until they are about ½” thick, onto a lightly floured work space.
- Drain the raisins, and place in a bowl.
- Sprinkle soaked raisins with cinnamon and sugar (optional) mixture evenly onto the dough.
- Starting from one side, roll the dough up tightly and pinch in the ends.
- Place the dough into a greased loaf pan, and allow it to double in size. About 4-8 hours.
- Bake the bread for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Add just enough flour so that it pulls away from the sides of the mixer, or is not sticking to your hands.
Make sure to cover the dough with a tight cover to help prevent a hard, crust forming on the dough. If this does happen, you can work it back into the dough, but it may affect the finished product.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 986Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 201gFiber: 34gSugar: 13gProtein: 42g
Sue says
Thank you for another great recipe! Sourdough is all I use for my breads. I agree about a good mixer. The Bosch and the Ankarsrum are some of the best mixers for bread making!
Excited for your upcoming move! ??
Alexa says
This recipe looks amazing!! I definitely want to give this a try.
https://alexagmarsh.blogspot.com
Louise says
Trying to cut out crabs can you use holewheart
Karen says
Do you have recipe for making a sourdough starter.? Thanks so much for sharing.
Lisa says
Yes I sure do! You can find it here: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/farmhouse-on-boone/make-sourdough-starter-scratch/
HeidiHO says
I am wondering how you feel about the download of recipes to a database like Paprika 3? I have used this amazing tool for menus, recipes, groceries and tracking pantry items for 3 years. I have found some bloggers don’t appreciate it and actually consider it content theft. Just asking
Joan says
It’s just my husband and me, do you think I can cut your bread recipes in half and just make one loaf?
Patty says
Yes I’d like to know the same! It’s only my husband and I.
Missy says
You could freeze the bread for another time after its made!
Maria says
Yes of course you can. I did. I always cut recipes in half and it works out for me. It’s just me and my husband as well.
Jani says
LIsa do you have a video how to for your sourdough cinnamon raisin bread? Looks delicious thank you
Jessica says
Can you substitute the coconut oil for butter? We have a coconut allergy in our family.
Lisa says
Yes!
Renee Wallace says
Hi Lisa,
I was just wondering how much brown sugar? It just says 1/2 on the recipe. Thanks!
Sarah says
me too…half cup??
Mary says
Have you tried this with a gluten free sourdough starter?
Lisa says
I am new to sourdough and decided to try this recipe. Just tried it –it’s delicious!! So easy to make too. 🙂
Tara says
If you don’t have fresh ground flour, will organic whole wheat flour or I bleached organic all purpose flour work in this recipe?
Lisa says
Yes!
Libby says
Can you substitute maple syrup for the honey? I’ve made this several times and my family loves it! Thanks for sharing!
Meg Thompson says
I followed the instructions well but my loaf is super brown ontop and seems to have a very hard crust. Should I cover with tin foil next time? Did I do something wrong?
Maria says
I covered mine with tin foil the last 10-12 minutes to prevent too much browning. I also brushed my with melted butter immediately after removing it from the oven. This softens the crust. Storing it in a ziplock bag will also soften the crust.
Colleen says
This was my second try! My loaves came out super dense and I’m not sure why? The dough also took 22 hours to rise and then when divided it took about 10 hours to double in size.
I made sure my starter was freshly fed and bubbly. Did I use too much flour? Or maybe didn’t knead it long enough?
Cortney says
I had the same issue… im very new to sourdough but Im not sure where i messed up!
Lisa says
It hard to know exactly what went wrong as many factors can play into the success of sourdough. I’m sorry you had issues with this recipe.
Katherine says
I wasn’t thinking and I put the dough in the fridge overnight. What should I do? Just let it sit at room temp for a bit?
Jessica says
I’m so bummed this didn’t work for me! It’s possible the dough was too dense/not kneaded enough as I used whole wheat flour. And maybe my started wasn’t ready as I only fed it 4 hours prior. But otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe exactly! Bread was completely raw in the middle after the full time and temp 🙁
pat carleson says
I had trouble with the dough being too loose; not kneaded enough. I followed the recipe as well.
Let me know if you come up with any solutions.
Maria says
Dough may have been over proofed.
Bethany says
I’m not sure what you mean by too loose but maybe too much flour or over fermented. I put the flour in last so that I can do only as much as it takes to not stick to the sides of the bowl. And then I ferment for half the time because I’m in Florida and things ferment quickly from the heat.
Pat Carleson says
My dough turned out way too loose and won’t hold together. The recipe called to knead it a little and I think it was not enough. I had to use way more flour so that I could handle it well.
Any ideas?
Bethany says
Did you over ferment it? That is when mine ends up too loose. Living in florida my ferment times are half of what she says because it is much warmer here. Mine turned out really tasty.
Maria says
What was the consistency of your starter? If your starter had a watery consistency then you would have had to add more flour OR you could have added less water then the recipe calls for.
I sometimes have to add extra flour to get the desired consistency of the dough. This shouldnt be an issue.
Also, Lisa’s instructions says to knead for 10-15 minutes but it is perfectly fine to add a few extra minutes if necessary. You could look at her video on YouTube to get and idea of what the dough should look like.
Bethany says
I omitted the raisins and went heavy on the brown sugar to make it a cinnamon roll bread. I cooked it for 25 minutes and it turned out to be a very tasty cinnamon roll bread! For a sugar free version I did coconut sugar and molasses instead of brown sugar.
Alexandria Davalos says
Hey! My dough didn’t rise initially? I did everything mentioned, and used bubbly active starter. It came out of the mixer beautiful… so I’m not sure why it didn’t rise at all when I left it over night? Like not even a tiny bit. Hopefully it’ll somehow rise once I roll it and put it in the bread pan to rise for another 8 hours.
Anna says
Same here! Did it rise after you rolled it?? So far mine isn’t! Any suggestions?
Ellie says
This was one of the best things I have ever made. Light soft sourdough with a sweet caramelised inside. I halved the recipe which was obviously a mistake as I may eat the entire loaf myself today! I made it in my cast iron loaf pan and some of the sugar did bubble out into the pan and the bottom of the oven so next time I will use my normal loaf pan as its easier to wash and make sure you have something to catch any drips.
Lisa says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Celia says
What else can I use to replace honey in this recipe and will Splenda brown sugar work for this recipe
Lisa says
I’ve never used it before so I can’t for sure say. You could also swap out the honey for maple syrup
Mallory says
Hey!! I have made this bread twice and it has come out great!!
However both times I did it I use my KitchenAid stand mixer. Both times I was really struggling to get it to knead the dough without over heating the mixer and just turning off on me. I ended up having to knead by hand most of the time. Do you think I just need a new mixer? Has this happened to you before?
Lisa says
Glad you enjoyed them. Oh wow, not sure. Do you have the standard mixer or the professional? My guess is that the standard cannot accommodate that much flour. I know someone else that has this same issue.
joanna says
too much flour for a Kitchen aid standard. I have switched to the Bosch and LOVE it
Anel says
Hi! Do you leave the dough to rise on the counter or in the fridge? Thanks!
Lisa says
Counter. After the bulk rise, you can place it in the fridge.
Ree says
Love the recipe! The rise was phenomenal! Would you clarify whether this is a two loaf recipe?
Lisa says
Wonderful! Yes it is a 2 loaf recipe.
Debbie Web says
Your calorie count per slice is off by quite a bit. When I add up all the calories for 2 loaves and estimate a total of 30 slices (15 per loaf) I get 84 calories per slice for 1 piece of bread for serving.
I do LOVE this recipe. I have looked for a good Cinnamon/Raisin break recipe for a LONG time and this one is perfect!
Lisa says
So glad you loved the recipe. The recipe card calculates the recipe so I don’t have a ton of control over the amount of calories. Seemed very high to me.
Debbie Web says
Oh, in addition to the calorie question, I did reduce the brown sugar to 2 TBLSP but it wouldn’t change that drastically for the 1/2 cup of optional brown sugar in the recipe.
I did try to change my typo in my comment above to “bread” instead of “break.” 🙂