Surprisingly Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
This sourdough cinnamon raisin swirl bread perfectly balances tanginess and sweetness. It’s jampacked with swirls so that you taste the delicious cinnamon in every bite. It makes the perfect breakfast, snack, and dessert.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, stop right there! I have the perfect fool-proof sourdough start recipe. You will need it in order to make this cinnamon raisin bread loaf recipe.
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread Is:
- Packed with plump raisins in every bite
- Perfect amount of Sourdough Flavor
- Most time spent is hands-off.
- Easy to find ingredients.
- Delicious!
- TONS of cinnamon swirls!
How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Today, I am teaching you how to make cinnamon raisin sourdough swirl bread! Grab that jar of discard sitting in your fridge and get ready to bake.
Steps to make this cinnamon raisin swirl bread:
- Knead the Bread Dough: Combine the ingredients and knead the dough. It’s best to do this in a stand mixer. You can do it by hand but it will be quite the workout.
- Let The Dough Rise: This takes roughly 1 to 1 ½ hours to double.
- Shape: Use the jelly roll technique shown in the video!
- Second Rise: Cover the bread pan and let rise for one hour.
- Bake: for roughly 45 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven.
- Eat: My favorite step!
Can I Omit The Yeast?
Yes, you can omit the yeast and rely solely on your sourdough starter. HOWEVER, I don’t recommend it for this recipe. During recipe testing, I’ve made various versions of this recipe (some with yeast and some without yeast).
The no-yeast version took a very long time to finish its second rise. My kitchen was a whopping 80°F and it still took 12 hours for the second rise to complete.
I guess that the majority of kitchens are much colder than mine. So, if my loaf took 12 hours to rise, imagine how long it would take in a kitchen that is colder.
Therefore, I do NOT recommend omitting the yeast. Keep this recipe strictly a sourdough discard recipe and all will be well.
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Raisins 110 grams
- ½ Cup Milk 123 grams. Warmed to 110°F
- 1/3 Cup Warm Water 78 grams
- 2 ¼ Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast 7 grams
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
- 2 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour 281 grams
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 Cup Sourdough Starter Discard 100 grams
- 2 ¼ Tablespoons Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/4 Cup White Sugar 50 grams
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter 14 grams
Instructions
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Soak Raisins: Place the raisins in a bowl of warm water. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes.
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Warm the milk in the microwave to roughly 110°F. It should be warm to the touch but not hot enough to burn your finger. This should take about 15 seconds.
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Yeast Mixture: In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm milk, warm water, yeast, and white sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
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Knead: Add the flour, salt, sourdough starter discard, softened butter, and egg. With the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low speed for five to ten minutes.
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Raisins: Drain the raisins. Add the raisins to the stand mixer bowl and knead until they are evenly distributed into the bread dough.
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First Rise: Place the dough in a large, greased mixing bowl and cover. Let it rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
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Cinnamon Swirl Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
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Shape: On a floured work surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 7×20-inch rectangle. Moisten the dough with melted butter by brushing it on with a pastry brush. You can also use your hands. Then, sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly on top of the dough. Starting from the short side, roll up tightly into a log (this is called the “Jelly Roll”.
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Second Rise: Place the rolled dough into a greased bread pan and cover. Let it rise for about 1 to 1 ½ hours till the bread dough is over the rim of the pan. (See Notes)
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Oven: Adjust the rack to the lower ⅔ portion of the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
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Bake: Uncover the loaf. Bake for 45 minutes or until it is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should be 195°F (91°C).
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Cool: Let the bread sit in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, take it out and let it cool on a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Special Equipment (Affiliate Links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Wire Cooling Rack | Instant Read Thermometer | Pastry Brush | Rolling Pin
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the dough through step five. Then, place it in a container and allow it to rise in the fridge overnight instead of a warm environment. The next day, take the dough out and let it sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Then, continue with step 7.
- Do I Need To Add Raisins: No, you don’t have to add the raisins. If you wish not to use raisins, simply leave them out.
- Yeast: I highly recommend using yeast and discard for this recipe instead of omitting yeast and relying on an active sourdough starter. I’ve made this recipe with yeast and without. Since this is an enriched dough, it takes longer to rise. The no-yeast version is delicious. However, it took over 12 hours to finish the rise.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or bread flour. I have not found a difference in either. I have yet to try this recipe with whole wheat flour.
- White Sugar: You can substitute this with brown sugar.
- Second Rise: The second rise is done once the bread is roughly 1/4th inch above the rim of the pan.