Is there anything better than a toasty loaf of sourdough bread baked in your own home?
Um, yes, there is. When that toasty loaf is studded with sweet sticky maple syrup, plump juicy raisins, and enough cinnamon to liven up a party! Meet my cinnamon raisin sourdough bread aka your new best friend.
This bread is amazing toasted in the morning and it’s sure to please the whole family. So get out those sourdough starters and get them rockin’ again because you will not be let down by this recipe. It took me over a year to perfect the techniques for making a great loaf of this bread and I’m about to share everything I’ve learned with you.
First and Foremost You Will Need a Great Sourdough Starter.
I’ve had my sourdough starter since 2003 and I feel extremely lucky that it’s survived all that time with me. I wasn’t the best mama to it for the first few years of its life. I would use it sporadically and leave it unattended (sometimes for months) in the back of my fridge. But this little starter is a beast and will always bounce back after several feedings. Now I bake at least one loaf of bread a week and I don’t even bother feeding it before baking. I use some and replace what I used, that’s it. And now my little starter is a serious part of my family and my livelihood. I actually feel love for it. Awwwww!
Want To Learn Everything About Sourdough?
Start with this free guide:
If you don’t already have a trusty starter or a friend who will gift you a little bit to start with, you can always purchase a dehydrated starter and get it going in no time. I recommend the sourdough starters from Cultures Of Health.
And Now on to the Good Stuff!
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- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large flat sheet about 1/2 inch thick.
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- Evenly spread the cinnamon and raisins over the dough, right up to the edge. Drizzle the maple syrup over the dough but don’t go all the way to the edge, leave about 2 inches of space for the syrup to expand while forming the loaf. Start at the top of the dough and roll toward yourself, gently patting the dough down as you go.
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- Once the dough is in a tight log fold both ends over to the middle third.
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- Roll the loaf gently to help it seal.
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- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in your loaf pan and put the loaf in upside down. Flip the loaf over so now the top is buttery too.
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- Cover the loaf and let it rise until at least doubled in size.
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread With a Maple Syrup Swirl
A perfect cinnamon raisin sourdough bread with a delicious maple syrup swirl!
Ingredients
- 280 grams (2 cups) bread flour
- 180 grams (1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour
- 250 grams (1 cup) sourdough starter, 100% hydration
- 12 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) salt
- 35 grams (3 tablespoons) coconut sugar
- 225 to 275 grams (1 to 1 1/4 cup) filtered water
- 15 to 20 grams (2 tablespoons) cinnamon (I like to go up to 20 for an extra cinnamon flavor)
- 190 grams (1 1/4 cup) raisins
- 180 grams (1/2 cup) maple syrup
- 17 grams (1 tablespoon) butter
Instructions
Make the Sourdough the Night Before
- I always let my bread go through a long, slow ferment. That's the point of sourdough, right?! A long ferment means more lactic acid to help break down starches and sugars, improving the digestibility and nutrition of the bread. And of course that's how sourdough gets its telltale sour flavor. So, why rush it?!
- Before going to bed, mix the two flours, starter, salt, coconut sugar, and water into a nice smooth dough. Knead the dough until it's elastic and pulls away clean. I'm not going to lie. I use a KitchenAid stand mixer and I have for years. It can be done by hand if that's what you prefer. But if you love baking and you plan on making bread fairly regularly then you should invest in a sturdy stand mixer.
- Cover the dough and let it rise overnight.
The Next Morning
- Flour your work surface. Pull the dough out of the bowl and gently shape it into a rectangle on the floured surface. Turn the dough over and make sure both sides have just enough flour so that they don't stick to your work surface. If you use too much flour here your bread will not roll up nicely, so be careful not to go overboard. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a large flat sheet about 1/2 inch thick. Evenly spread the cinnamon and raisins over the dough, right up to the edge. Drizzle the maple syrup over the dough but don't go all the way to the edge — leave about 2 inches of space for the syrup to expand while forming the loaf. Start at the top of the dough and roll it toward yourself, gently patting the dough down as you go. Once the dough is in a tight log fold both ends over to the middle third. Roll the loaf gently to help it seal.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in your loaf pan and put the loaf in upside down. Flip the loaf over so now the top is buttery too. Cover the loaf and let it rise until at least doubled in size. I let mine rise for about 4 hours before baking.
- Bake the bread at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing. I know it's tempting to eat it warm but if you resist the loaf will be moister and will take longer to go stale.
- Enjoy the bread soft, toasted, or as (our favorite) FRENCH TOAST!
Notes
If you have a very active and happy starter you should consider splitting this recipe between two loaf pans to avoid spill over!
Amelia
Tuesday 14th of November 2023
Delicious! Divided the dough in 2 and it made 2 full size 9x5 loaf pans, filled to the top! I’m so glad I didn’t make just one loaf! Also plumped my raisins in hot water first, and used brown sugar instead of maple syrup. Thanks for another great recipe 💕
Butter For All
Tuesday 12th of December 2023
Hi Amelia!
It sounds like you did something wonderful there! I love the way you were able to substitute and change the recipe without being intimidated. Well done!
Dessie
Monday 24th of April 2023
I love this bread so much! It is in my rotation all the time. Not only is this delicious, but it’s very easy to make.
Butter For All
Tuesday 25th of April 2023
Hi Dessie,
Yay! I love to hear that. This is definitely a long-time favorite of mine too! Thank You!
John
Monday 3rd of April 2023
We love this bread and it is great to see all of the ideas to change it up. One issue for me is that the crust is a little too hard. Can you suggest a modification say to cooking time or temperature? John
Butter For All
Friday 7th of April 2023
Hi John,
You can bake the bread in the bottom third of your oven, and once the crust is golden, tent it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper. That should keep it from getting too dark or tough.
Glad you love the recipe!
Courtney
Marc M.
Tuesday 26th of July 2022
The bread was super easy to make and came out really well. To change it up, I substituted 11g of fresh ground green cardamom pods for the cinnamon, and it complemented the maple syrup and raisin great. This won't last long at my house. Will make a loaf for the office soon.
Butter For All
Wednesday 3rd of August 2022
Hi Marc!
So happy to hear it was a success! We must be on the same wavelength because I just made granola with cardamom. Such a lovely spice! You know what they say about great minds!!! ;)
Jennifer
Monday 27th of September 2021
I think the weights are off for some of the ingredients. A half cup of maple syrup is much more than 18 grams, and 3 Tbsp of coconut sugar, for me, came to 21 grams, not 35. Similar for cinnamon - although closer to what you have listed. Which is the right amount to use, weight or cup/Tbsp measure?
Butter For All
Monday 27th of September 2021
Hi Jennifer!
I'm so glad you alerted me to this. I recently had all my recipes standardized and edited. It looks like a zero was dropped in the process. Maple syrup should be 180 grams. I would personally use weight, as cups and spoons measurements are always estimates.
Thanks again!
Courtney