This Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe uses sourdough discard to bake a tender loaf of bread, loaded with a cinnamon swirl and plenty of raisins. We enjoy it toasted with butter and honey. This also makes delicious French Toast. The dough is a dream to work with, and it’s easy enough for a beginner bread baker.
My sourdough starter has lived in my refrigerator for 15+ years! “Clint Yeastwood” gets regular feedings to keep it alive. In order to feed a sourdough starter, one has to discard a portion into the trash. Better yet, instead of throwing it away, there are so many ways to use sourdough starter in countless recipes.
The World of Sourdough Baking is both complex and simple. What if you don’t have sourdough starter?! I’m always happy to give some of mine away, if you lived closer! You could make your own, if you have the patience to do that. My sourdough starter was ordered from King Arthur Flour.com. It comes with a thorough pamphlet on how to feed and maintain your sourdough starter. Basically, you have to discard (literally) a portion of the starter, so you can feed it with more flour and water. Some people feed their starter daily. Me? Erm. Weekly? Twice a month? Yes. As long as I store my starter in the refrigerator, I can revive it when I’m ready to bake. I don’t have a micro-bakery, so I bake bread when it strikes my fancy.
One of my earliest attempts at baking sourdough bread is this No-Knead recipe.
These sourdough pretzel buns were easy and turned out great, using sourdough discard. Cinnamon Raisin toast or Cinnamon Raisin Muffins is a morning breakfast treat that I enjoy. Could I make Cinnamon Raisin bread with sourdough discard? Why toss discard in the trash (never down the sink, or it becomes concrete and a plumber’s bill). Let’s make bread:
This sourdough discard was refrigerated or almost a week. It was time to feed, so the discard will morph into a loaf of bread, thanks to a King Arthur Flour.com recipe. This sourdough starter kit has all the tools needed to feed, measure and store sourdough.
There is a vital tool when it comes to any kind of bread– sourdough in particular. A kitchen scale! They’re aren’t terribly expensive– under $30. The recipe I will post gives both cups and grams. Trust me, grams are the most accurate way to get best results. All of the ingredients are ready to go!
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer measure out the sourdough discard, instant yeast, butter, sugar and salt. I decided to add about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the dough, as well. Add the flour and allow the dough attachment to do all of the hard work.
This will take a few minutes for the dough to begin to take shape. A visual clue is I like to see the dough separating from the edge of the bowl. If the dough seems too wet, add more flour one tablespoon at a time. Wait and see. If the dough still looks too wet, add a little bit more. There!
The Proofing Box that I invested in has really paid off! I don’t have to worry about my kitchen not being warm or cool enough to proof dough. There’s tray to add water so I don’t have to cover the dough with plastic or cloth. Because the proofing box sets the temperature to be steady, dough proofs much faster than on a counter.
One hour later, the dough is ready to be shaped. Voila!
I took a detour from King Arthur Flour’s cinnamon filling recipe. In past years, I’ve purchased the Baker’s Cinnamon Filling that they sell. It’s a mix that becomes a thick “schmear”. I’ve used the filling for Cinnamon Rolls. I found a recipe to make my own, using Instant ClearJel. I use this product to thicken fruit pies, gravies, stabilize whipped cream and more. You can buy it on the King Arthur Flour website for half the price as on Amazon. However, the shipping can be costly for just one item on KAF. (If you don’t have this product, I also provide an alternative cinnamon filling.)
My kitchen counter has been washed clean. Gently dump the dough onto the counter, lightly sprayed with oil.
Gently pat the dough flat and shape into a 16×20 size. Add the cinnamon filling, leaving a 1″ border. Sprinkle with raisins.
Starting on the short end of the dough, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed. Place into a lightly greased loaf pan.
Cover and allow the bread to rise until it’s crested about 1″ over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 to 20 minutes. The bread’s crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on a digital thermometer.
Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
TASTING NOTES: I used the “two loaf pan” method of baking the bread. That is, I set another loaf pan on top of the shaped bread dough, instead of foil. I would’ve preferred a more golden brown, but the bread was baked according to my thermometer. Waiting for the bread to cool was torture, because the aroma was intoxicating. The Baker’s Cinnamon Filling recipe is the way to go! It has so much flavor. Next time, I’ll increase the amount of raisins. Cinnamon-Raisin toast for the win! What a great way to use discarded sourdough starter and morph it into this delicious bread.
I’m in the infancy stage of learning how to bake real sourdough. I’m slowly learning the lingo of “stretch and folds”, “slap and folds”, “coil folds”, “cold fermentation”, “bulk fermentation”, “over proofing” “under proofing” and on and on. I have several terrific food bloggers who share lots of videos and recipes for FREE! Buckle in, because I’m getting ready to attempt a more advanced sourdough loaf and to practice the art of “scoring” designs. Wish me luck!
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with dough attachment
- Proofing Box my favorite way to make bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1/2 cup Sourdough starter 113g; , ripe (fed) or discard
- 3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 360g; recommended: King Arthur Flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon optional
- 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt 8g
- 1 large egg
- 5 tablespoons butter 71g ; softened
- 2/3 cup water 152g ; lukewarm
Baker's Cinnamon Filling:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons instant clear gel powder that can be order on King Arthur Flour or on Amazon
- 1 Tbsp water up to 2 tablespoons
Alternate Filling (if you don't have ClearJel)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Unbleached All-Purpose Flour recommended: King Arthur Flour
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (to make the cinnamon filling "stick")
- 1/2 cup raisins 74g r
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased container, and allow it to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it’s just about doubled in bulk.
For the Baker's Cinnamon Filling (my preference):
- In a bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon and Instant clear gel, stir to thoroughly combine.
- Add water 1/2 a tablespoon at a time to reach desired schmear consistency. It can take about 2 1/2-3 tablespoons, depending on the moisture content of your brown sugar.
- Spread on dough and bake as specified by recipe.
Alternately cinnamon filling (if you don't have ClearJel):
- While the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
- Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
- Roll and pat the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 6″ x 20″.
- Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle it evenly with the filling and raisins, leaving a bare strip about 1″ wide along one short edge; this will make the log you’re about to roll easier to seal.
- Starting with the short end that’s covered with filling, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed.
- Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Cover and allow the bread to rise until it's crested about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 to 20 minutes. The bread’s crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on a digital thermometer.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- Store the sourdough cinnamon raisin bread at room temperature, well wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
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