Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bread

CAUTION! Cinnamon walnut raisin bread made with sourdough starter is extremely addictive!

It is rich and full of flavor, very nutritious with perfectly balance sweetness. The crunchy walnuts paired with smoky cinnamon creates a fragrant flavor combination that is reminiscent of the holiday season.

Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or even holiday dinner, this Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bread is hard to stop eating. I had to physically pull myself away before eating the entire loaf.

You can spread some butter on top of a slice, or eat it as is. Also it makes the best French toast!

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

• 10g sourdough starter
• 50g water
• 45g all purpose flour or bread flour 
• 5g rye flour 

Dough

• 200g bread flour (50%)
• 200g stone ground whole wheat flour (50%)
• 240g water (60%)
• 100g starter (25%)
• 8g salt (2%)
• 20g sugar (5%)
• 20g soft butter (5%)
• 120g chopped walnuts
• 80g raisins 
• Coaster sugar to sprinkle the loaf

Filling 

• 20g cinnamon 
• 60g sugar
• Water to spray the dough

Directions 

Starter

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover, let sit at room temp 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (triples or more in volume).
• Learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Dough

• 8 am mix water with sugar, add sourdough starter and flour, mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated and gluten will get stronger. The dough should come up together, add salt, continue kneading for couple more minutes then add soft butter.  Keep kneading for 3-5 more minutes until all butter will be incorporated and dough will wrap the hook.
• Add chopped walnuts and raisins, continue kneading for couple more minutes until all inclusions will be incorporated.

• 8.30 am Round the dough and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F24/28C. Perform 2 stretches and folds every 2 hours. Dough has to become puffier and show signs of fermentation.
• 12 pm Cover the dough and move to fridge for cold fermentation for 9-12 hours or overnight.
• Prepare the filling by mixing sugar and cinnamon together.
• 9 pm or next morning remove the dough from the fridge.
• Roll it into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. 
• Spray the dough with water then spread the filling evenly all around the dough, leave 1 Inch border.
• Generously spay the cinnamon filling with water.
• Starting with a short side, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch seam together. Transfer the log onto a tray covered with parchment paper seem side down. 

• Let the loaf to proof overnight at 68-70F/20-21C until double or more in volume. Or, if you pulled the dough from the fridge in the morning, please follow previous step and let the dough proof at 76-80F/24-28C for 4-6 hours until double or more in volume.

• Preheat the oven 480F with oval cast iron pan in it or baking stone for 30-40 minutes.
• When loaf is done proofing, to get rid of air pockets use a wooden stick(or something sharp) to pock a holes alongside of the loaf, 4 times at each side.
• Using scoring knife make 4 straight cuts on top of the loaf.

• Bake the loaf with steam 10 min (to create steam close the lid of your cast iron pan or create steam by pouring ice cubes into a tray, that was placed under the baking stone) 
• Lower the temperature to 365F and continue baking for 30 more minutes.
• Spray the hot loaf with water and sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
• Continue baking for 15-20 more minutes, until the bread will get nice and brown color.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bread

3138kcal

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Prep 35 minutes mins

Cook 55 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 21 hours hrs

Total 22 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

This sweet and highly nutritious artisan loaf is incredibly rich, packed with crunchy toasted walnuts, and naturally sweetened with plump raisins. Swirled with a thick cinnamon-sugar ribbon, it features a beautifully balanced sweetness and makes the absolute best French toast you will ever taste.

Cuisine American (Sweet Artisan Bread)

Ingredients

The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 10 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 50 g Water
• ▢ 45 g All-purpose flour (or bread flour)
• ▢ 5 g Rye flour

The Fruit & Nut Inclusions Dough

• ▢ 200 g Bread flour (50%)
• ▢ 200 g Stone ground whole wheat flour (50%)
• ▢ 240 g Water (60%)
• ▢ 100 g Active sourdough starter levain (25%)
• ▢ 8 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 20 g Sugar (5%)
• ▢ 20 g Soft butter (5% – Softened completely to room temperature)
• ▢ 120 g Chopped walnuts
• ▢ 80 g Raisins

The Sweet Swirl Filling & Topping

• ▢ 20 g Cinnamon
• ▢ 60 g Sugar
• ▢ Coarse sugar (Reserved strictly for a crunchy decorative crust finish)

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment)
• ▢
  Oval Cast Iron Pan or a heavy baking stone
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Water Spray Bottle (Mandatory for securing the cinnamon filing)
• ▢
  Sharp Scoring Knife or Lame
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Day 1 – Active Starter Ignition & Main Dough Kneading

1. 10:00 PM: In a clean glass jar, dissolve your 10g of starter culture into 50g of water. Stir in the 45g of flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix well, cover loosely, and let sit at room temp 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8 to 10 hours until it triples in volume.
2. 8:00 AM (Next Morning): In your stand mixer bowl, mix the 240g of water with 20g of sugar. Add 100g of your active overnight starter, 200g of bread flour, and 200g of whole wheat flour.
3. Run the machine on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the gluten network tightens. Add the 8g of salt, knead for 2 more minutes, then drop in the 20g of soft butter. Knead for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough wraps smoothly around the hook.
4. Dump in the 120g of chopped walnuts and 80g of raisins, mixing for 2 additional minutes until the inclusions are fully incorporated.
5. 8:30 AM: Round the dough into a ball and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretch-and-folds every 2 hours; it will look notably light and puffy.
6. 12:00 PM: Cover the container tightly and move it to the refrigerator for a cold bulk fermentation rest lasting 9 to 12 hours.
7. 9:00 PM – Geometric Filling & Log Rolling: Mix the 60g of sugar and 20g of cinnamon together in a cup. Pull the cold dough from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin into a neat 9×17 inch rectangle.
8. Spray the surface of the dough lightly with a water bottle mist, then spread your cinnamon-sugar filling evenly all over the sheet, leaving a clean 1-inch border along the edges. Generously spray the cinnamon filling layer with water a second time to hydrate the sugars.
9. Starting with the short side, roll the dough up tightly into a dense log and pinch the bottom seam together firmly. Transfer the log seam-side down onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely and let proof on your counter overnight for 8 to 10 hours at 68–70°F (20–21°C) until it completely doubles in size.

Day 2 – Air Hole Poking & Staged High-Heat Baking

1. 10. Preheat your oven thoroughly to 480°F (250°C) with your oval cast iron pan or baking stone inside for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. 11. The Air-Pocket Escape: Once the loaf is fully proofed, use a sharp wooden stick or skewer to poke deep holes alongside the base of the loaf (4 times on each side) to prevent gaping gaps. Using a sharp scoring knife or lame, make 4 diagonal slashes across the top surface.
3. 12. Slide the loaf into your hot cast iron pan, drop the lid on to trap the steam, and bake at 480°F (250°C) for exactly 10 minutes.
4. 13. Remove the lid carefully, lower the oven temperature to 365°F (185°C), and continue baking for 30 minutes without the lid.
5. 14. Pull the tray out briefly, spray the hot crust lightly with a fine mist of water, and sprinkle a heavy layer of coarse sugar across the top. Return to the oven for a final 15 to 20 minutes until the bread turns a gorgeous, glossy dark brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories3138kcalCarbohydrates504gProtein82gFat104gSaturated Fat19gPolyunsaturated Fat61gMonounsaturated Fat16gTrans Fat1gCholesterol55mgSodium742mgPotassium2391mgFiber52gSugar85gVitamin A616IUVitamin C7mgCalcium473mgIron19mg

Notes

• Why Double Water Spraying is Mandatory: When filling a sweet swirl bread, home bakers often deal with the top crust separating from the filling, creating a giant hollow tunnel inside the loaf. Misting the dough with water before and after adding the cinnamon-sugar mixture melts the granular sugars slightly into a sticky paste. This locks the dough layers together during rolling, ensuring a tight swirl.
• The Genius Behind the Skewer Holes: Poking deep holes along the bottom flanks of your shaped loaf using a sharp stick right before it hits the oven serves a specific physical purpose. Cinnamon naturally disrupts gluten bonds and creates steam pockets as it heats. Giving that trapped steam a set of open escape tunnels prevents the bread from blowing apart at the seams.
• Transitioning to a Morning Proof Timeline: If your evening schedule makes step 7 difficult, you can safely let the dough rest in the refrigerator completely overnight. The next morning, simply pull the cold dough out, perform your rolling, water-spraying, and cinnamon-filling assembly, and allow the shaped log to proof at a warm room temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C) for 4 to 6 hours before baking.
• Flour Customization Guidelines: This master formula blends equal 50% weights of strong bread flour and rustic whole wheat flour to secure an incredibly rich, nutty profile. If stone-ground whole grains are unavailable in your local area, you can substitute them dynamic-for-dynamic with any standard whole wheat flour without needing to recalibrate the baseline 60% hydration level.

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