The Best, Easy Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe
This cinnamon raisin sourdough bread recipe is cozy, tender, lightly sweet, and perfectly packed with juicy raisins and a swirl of cinnamon-sugar goodness in every bite. It will quickly become your go-to cinnamon raisin bread recipe!
Sourdough cinnamon raisin bread is one of our favorite sourdough recipes! It makes a delicious breakfast bread and a wonderful afternoon snack. The warm cinnamon is lovely for French toast, yet still has all the character of rustic sourdough.
This bread uses simple ingredients you already have in your pantry. It is rustic like regular sourdough bread but naturally sweetened and so easy to love! This delicious bread recipe skips the butter, sugar, and eggs found in more enriched loaves, but it still delivers warm cinnamon flavor and juicy raisins in every bite.
If you’ve been craving a simple and wholesome sourdough bake with a touch of sweetness, this one’s for you. It follows a traditional 8 hour or overnight fermentation process, and the cinnamon-sugar swirl inside bakes up beautifully every time. I start mine at night and bake the next day, but you can also start early morning and bake the same day. There’s something extra satisfying about baking sourdough with a cinnamon swirl—it fills your kitchen with warm spice, and it slices beautifully once cooled.
Learn how to make your own sourdough starter with the stiff starter method—my favorite way to bake because there is not a lot of sourdough discard. (Although I do keep a little so I can make discard buttermilk cornbread and discard cinnamon rolls!) It’s the perfect way to start your sourdough journey!
Then the next time you’re wanting a different sourdough recipe, try rosemary sourdough, flavored sourdough, soft sourdough pita bread, sourdough calzones, or sourdough tortillas!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cozy cinnamon swirl: The ribbon of cinnamon sugar and plump raisins give a warm, sweet bite that’s perfect for toast or snacking.
Soft, rich texture: The rustic crust of traditional sourdough pairs with the airy crumb inside while letting the delicious cinnamon sugar flavor shine.
Great for gifting or freezing: It keeps beautifully and makes a thoughtful gift—or stash slices in the freezer for future breakfasts.
What Is Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread?
Cinnamon raisin sourdough is a naturally leavened dough that has a swirl of cinnamon sugar in the middle of the loaf. The loaf rises overnight with an active sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast.
What makes this version special is the classic cinnamon-sugar swirl that winds through the middle. It’s rolled like a jelly roll, similar to cinnamon rolls, but baked in a loaf pan for easy slicing. While many sweet breads are yeasted, using sourdough brings a more complex flavor and tender texture without being overly sweet.
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose white flour. This helps develop a strong gluten structure that creates great oven spring. You can substitute 1/4 of the flour with whole wheat flour, if desired.
- Sea salt: Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Sourdough starter: Use a bubbly, mature sourdough starter that’s been fed within 4–6 hours so it’s nice and active.
- Warm water: Using warm water helps bring the dough together and activates fermentation. You don’t want hot water, more like bath water temperature.
- Raisins: Sweet raisins are soaked in warm water for added moisture and plumpness.
- Egg wash or water: This is optional, for sealing the dough and achieving a golden crust.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warmth to the swirl. The cinnamon sugar mixture is a delicious addition.
A full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
Sourdough kit – This kit makes baking easy! You get a banneton basket, bowl scraper, bread lame, and bench scraper
Dutch oven – Not required, but makes baking easier. If you don’t have a Dutch oven to trap the steam, you can open bake on a baking stone or with a baking sheet. Place an oven safe dish with water beneath it for the second half of the baking time.
How To Make This Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe
Soak the raisins
- Soak the raisins in a small bowl filled with warm water for 10–15 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water until no dry spots remain, then add the sourdough starter and salt, and mix until fully incorporated and a shaggy dough has formed. Use wet hands to knead the dough in the bowl a little until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then add the raisins and perform a series of stretch and folds. With wet hands, grab one of each sides of the dough, pull it up, then press into the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all four “sides” of the bowl have been folded. Do this three more times over the next hour and a half. If needed, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. Just make sure not to break the dough.
Bulk fermentation
- Place the dough in a slightly warm place and do the first rise for 8 hours or until almost double in size. Transfer the dough to the fridge for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
Shape, proof, then bake
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a large rectangle (about 8 x 18-inch), like a log shape. You can use a rolling pin for this if it is helpful.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with a bit of water or melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over entire center of the dough, leaving a bit of room on the side of the dough so it doesn’t fall out. Then roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam to seal.
- Use a bench scraper to scoop up the dough and place the it seam-side down into a floured banneton basket or a loaf pan, cover with a tea towel, and proof for 1.5–2 hours or until puffy and risen.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or other baking vessel inside during the last 30 minutes of proofing.
- When ready to bake, dust the loaf with rice flour and score with three shallow, diagonal cuts. Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, then place the it into the hot Dutch oven (score if desired), cover, and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire cooling rack before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- Use an active starter: Your starter should pass the float test and smell slightly sweet and yeasty.
- Bulk ferment overnight: I typically start this loaf before bed and let it ferment overnight. The next morning I bake. It’s great for breakfast.
- Let the loaf cool fully before slicing: The swirl sets as it cools and slicing too soon can lead to tearing.
- Roll tightly but gently: This prevents large gaps in the swirl. Seal the seam well for a tidy loaf. This loaf is a more oblong shape as opposed to a round shape.
- Don’t rush the bulk rise: Overnight fermentation builds flavor and structure so let the dough rise 8 hours or so.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 48 hours. Avoid using a plastic bag as it holds too much moisture. Instead use a bread bag. This is an excellent recipe to freeze as well. You can freeze whole or sliced once fully cooled. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil or place in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe Variations
- Walnut cinnamon swirl: Add chopped walnuts into the swirl for crunch.
- Apple cinnamon sourdough: Fold in small chunks of dried apple with the raisins.
- Orange zest swirl: Add zest of 1 orange to the cinnamon-sugar mix for a citrusy twist.
- Sourdough cinnamon rolls: Use the same dough to make individual rolls instead of a loaf. Check out Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls!
- Bread machine: You can definitely make this loaf in a bread machine, especially if you don’t have the extra time for stretching. Just follow the instructions on your specific machine.
Recipe FAQs
I hope you love this recipe!
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
This naturally leavened cinnamon raisin sourdough bread is soft, lightly sweet, and swirled with a delicious cinnamon-sugar ribbon. This recipe follows a simple overnight schedule and finishes with a beautiful swirl and golden crust.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 500 grams of bread flour (4 cups)
- 350 grams of water, warm (1 ½ cups)
- 100 grams active sourdough starter (½ cup)
- 10 grams fine sea salt (2 teaspoons)
- 100 grams raisins, soaked in warm water and drained (⅔ cup)
Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl
- 1/4 cup sugar (white, brown, or coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in a small bowl filled with warm water for 10–15 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and water until no dry spots remain, then add the sourdough starter and salt, and mix until fully incorporated and a shaggy dough has formed. Use wet hands to knead the dough in the bowl a little until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then add the raisins and perform a series of stretch and folds. With wet hands, grab one of each sides of the dough, pull it up, then press into the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all four "sides" of the bowl have been folded. Do this three more times over the next hour and a half. If needed, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. Just make sure not to break the dough.
- Place the dough in a slightly warm place and do the first rise for up to 8 hours or almost double in size. Then, transfer the dough to the fridge for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a large rectangle (about 8 x 18-inch), like a log shape. You can use a rolling pin for this if it is helpful.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with a bit of water or melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over entire center of the dough, leaving a bit of room on the side of the dough so it doesn't fall out. Then roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam to seal.
- Use a bench scraper to scoop up the dough and place the it seam-side down into a floured proofing basket or a loaf pan, cover with a tea towel, and do a second rise for 1.5–2 hours or until puffy and risen.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or other baking vessel inside during the last 30 minutes of proofing.
- When ready to bake, dust the loaf with rice flour and score with three shallow, diagonal cuts. Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, then place the it into the hot Dutch oven (score if desired), cover, and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- To speed up rising: Use 150 g starter and reduce water to 230 grams.
- For a sweeter swirl, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar or a handful of chopped walnuts.
- Roll tightly but gently to prevent large gaps in the swirl. Seal the seam well for a tidy loaf.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 48 hours, ideally in a bread bag. To freeze, slice after cooling and store in a zip bag. Toast straight from frozen.
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Other Sourdough Recipes You May Enjoy…
- Chocolate Hazelnut Sourdough Star Bread
- Fluffy Sourdough English Muffins
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- King Arthur Sourdough Bread
- Easy Sourdough Bread Bowls
- Overnight Sourdough Bagels
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