Raisin Cinnamon Sourdough Bread

Lately, I feel like I’m hooked to sourdough baking.  Not only is the texture and the taste of the bread addictive, but the whole bread making process is addictive as well.  I just can’t describe the excitement I had when I took one successfully baked loaf out of my oven.  My friend is an amazing baker whose Instagram is yhsourdough; you can follow her to see all the amazing sourdough bread she bakes.  Although I didn’t get this Raisin Cinnamon Sourdough recipe from her, I learned from her that cinnamon breaks down gluten, and I should incorporate it to the dough towards the end of the bulk fermentation.  I still have a lot to learn, but this raisin cinnamon bread surely has a good texture and taste.

Ingredients (Hydration is about 72%):

Step 1 – Mix and rest for 1 hour

400g	Bread Flour
35g	Dark Rye Flour
15g	Spelt Flour
320g	Water

Step 2 – Mix and rest for 30  mins

10g	Salt
90g	Starter
3g	Ground Cinnamon

Step 3 – Soak the Raisins

120g	Raisin
¼ tsp	Vanilla extract
½ cup	Water

If you already have your own sourdough starter, get it ready.  To make it from scratch, plan at least 7 days ahead of time (it may take up to 2 weeks if the weather is cold), please follow King Arthur’s sourdough starter recipe here.

Directions:

1. Feed your starter with equal amount of water, flour and starter until it is active and ready to use (you will see a lot of bubbles, or you can run the float test if a levain is ready to use.  A small amount of levain is scooped out and dropped into a glass of room temperature water, and if it floats, it’s ready).  (Pictures above)
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all flour and water.  Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest in room temperature for 1 hour.  (Pictures 1)
3. After 1 hour, add 90g of starter, 10g of salt.  Use your hand to pinch and fold the dough over and over to get it nice and mixed.  The dough is much more wet and sloppy than it was during the first mix.  Cover the dough and set the timer for 30 minutes.  (Pictures 2 & 4)
4. Soak 120g raisins with 1/2 cup of water (water should be enough to cover the raisins).  Add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, mix well.  (Pictures 5 & 6)
5. Now we are going to stretch and fold the dough – Lift one side of the dough straight up until you meet resistance and fold it across the center.  Turn the bowl 90 degree and perform the stretch-and-folds (the dough is probably very relaxed in the beginning).  Once you have finished all the way around the bowl back to where you started, you have completed one set.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set the timer for 30 minutes.  (Pictures 7 & 8)
6. Repeat Step 4 above three more times.
7. After the last set of stretch-and fold, stretch the dough and sprinkle cinnamon and raisins.  Fold the dough down and sprinkle another layer of  cinnamon and raisins to the dough.  Repeat this step until you finish all the cinnamon and raisins.  (Pictures 9-12)
8. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1-2 hours.  (Picture 13)
9. Dust your work surface with flour, fold the dough a couple of times and shape the dough to a ball.  (Pictures 14-15)
10. Dust the banneton basket with rice flour, carefully transfer the dough to the basket. Cover with a towel and put it in the refrigerator for 5-10 hours/overnight.  (Pictures 16-18)

Baking the bread:

1. During the dough’s last 45 minutes of final proof, preheat the oven and the cast iron pan at 500F (preheating the pan for at least 45 minutes).
2. Remove the basket from the fridge.  Put a piece of parchment paper on top of the banneton basket and put a chopping board on top of the parchment paper. (Picture 19)
3. Now hold the basket and chopping board tight and flip over the banneton basket.  You can score the dough now.  (Picture 20)
4. Remove the cast iron pan from the oven and slide the dough to the pan.  (Picture 21)
5. Cover the cast iron pan and turn the oven temperature down to 450F and set the timer to bake for 20 minutes.  (Picture 22)
6. After 20 minutes, uncover the pan and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.** (Picture 23)
7. Let the bread cool down completely on a cooling rack before slicing it.

Note:  Each oven is different, you may need to adjust the cooking time for longer.