Soft Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread Recipe
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No breakfast table is complete without this Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread recipe. Each slice of soft sourdough bread is dotted with plump raisins and holds a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl. Better yet, this easy sourdough recipe can be prepared and baked on the same day.
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Growing up, one of my favorite after-school snacks was a piece of toast, slathered with butter, and sprinkled heavily with cinnamon and sugar. Oh, the nostalgia! The sweetness from the sugar and saltiness from the butter, plus the warm cinnamon, satisfied my cravings every time.
Recently, I was making my weekly soft sourdough sandwich bread for sandwiches when it hit me.
“Can I make my regular sourdough bread into a cinnamon raisin swirl sourdough bread recipe? “
Just a few additional ingredients were needed to transform this recipe into a delicious breakfast bread, or anytime bread, truly.
First I kneaded juicy raisins into the dough for pops of chewy, sweetness. Then, I sprinkled the top of the dough with cinnamon-sugar mixture, before tightly rolling it up and baking.
If you could have smelled my kitchen. The aromatic cinnamon was sweet in the air, begging me to eat the entire loaf. And with how delicious this sourdough raisin bread is, it wouldn’t be too challenging to do so.
The bread is soft, with a delicate crust and a slight sourdough flavor.
But the true stars of the show are the sweet raisins and cinnamon swirl. Just like sourdough cinnamon rolls, the cinnamon sugar swirl melts into sweet and sticky goodness and the studded raisins offer an almost jammy texture to each bite.
This Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread recipe is simply delicious and will be a frequently requested breakfast item.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
No Fancy Equipment Required:
Put away your stand mixer and Dutch oven; all you need is a mixing bowl and something to mix the dough ingredients with. Sometimes simple recipes are the best.
Health Benefits:
This long-fermented sourdough recipe gives you all the gut-healthy benefits of sourdough in a delicious bit of bread. It makes you feel better about eating four slices in a sitting.
Bare Minimum Kneading:
Only 20 seconds of kneading is needed for this soft sourdough cinnamon raisin bread. Talk about easy!
Same-Day Bake:
Many sourdough recipes can be a multiple-day-long process, but that isn’t the case here! This delicious bread recipe can be prepared and baked on the same day.
Ingredients
Active Sourdough Starter – Forget commercial yeast, your own sourdough starter will do all the work to give you that soft and chewy slice of sandwich bread.
Warm Water – Make sure that the water isn’t boiling. This can kill your sourdough starter, causing the dough not to rise and be dense.
Unsalted Butter, melted – Adding butter to this recipe makes this everyday bread so soft. You can substitute for a 1:1 ratio with olive oil if preferred.
Sugar – For some sweetness and color! While the bread bakes, the crust will turn golden brown due to the Maillard reaction.
Bread Flour – Bread flour has a higher gluten count, which helps this homemade sourdough bread keep its tall, round shape.
All-Purpose Flour – Incorporating some white flour keeps the bread nice and soft.
Salt – To enhance the overall flavor of the bread. My favorite brand is Redmond Salt.
Raisins- Pre-soaking raisins before adding them to the bread dough will give each bite a plump, sweet raisin.
Cinnamon – Warm and aromatic, ground cinnamon steals the show.
Supplies
Large Bowl
Kitchen Scale – Baking is about precision and this help tremendously.
Dutch Dough Whisk – Great for mixing bread dough and pancake batter!
Rolling Pin
Bench Knife
9″ inch Loaf Pan
Wire Rack
BAKER’S SCHEDULE:
BAKE THE SAME DAY:
9 am: Make the Dough
10 am: Knead the Dough
10 am: First Rise
7 pm: Shape
7 pm: Second Rise
9 pm: Bake
BAKE THE NEXT DAY:
9 pm: Make the Dough
10 pm: Knead the Dough
10 pm: First Rise
Following Morning:
7 am: Shape
7 am: Second Rise
9 am: Bake
How to Make this Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread Recipe
MAKE THE DOUGH
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bubbly and active starter, warm water, melted butter, and sugar.
Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients and mix with a Danish dough whisk or by hand until all the dry bits of flour have been incorporated and a shaggy dough is formed.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a tied plastic bag, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the gluten to relax.
While the dough is resting, pour boiling water and raisins into a small bowl. Leave them to soak.
KNEAD THE DOUGH
After 30 minutes, drain and pat dry the raisins.
Remove the dough cover and pour the raisins on top of the dough.
Next, wet your fingers so the dough doesn’t stick to them.
Then, take a piece of the bread dough, pull it upwards, and fold it towards the center of the dough. Push the heel of your hand into the dough.
Turn the bowl clockwise a quarter turn and repeat the same motion. Continue to knead the dough with this motion for about 20 seconds. The dough should become more stiff and smooth looking. The raisins will be mixed throughout the smooth ball of dough.
Grease another bowl with butter and place the smooth dough ball into the bowl with the seam side down.
BULK FERMENTATION
Cover the bowl again and place in a warm place, like on top of the fridge or in a cabinet. Let the dough rise till doubled in size. The bulk rise will take anywhere from 8-10 hours.
SHAPE THE DOUGH
Once the dough has doubled, remove the bowl cover and punch the dough. Do so by placing your fist in the center of the dough and pushing it downwards. Punching the dough helps to release all the air bubbles. This creates a tighter crumb that you want for cinnamon raisin swirl bread.
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch the bread dough into a large rectangle on your work surface, about 8inx12in. You want it to be long enough to get those beautiful swirls and wide enough to snuggly fit in the loaf pan.
With a pastry brush, brush water about 1 inch wide along the sides and 2 inches wide along the top and bottom of the rectangle. This will help seal the bread dough when shaped.
Sprinkle the center of the dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, avoiding the edges.
From the short side, tightly roll the bread dough into a log, like you would a cinnamon roll. Curl the ends of the sourdough sandwich bread under itself and pinch the seams together.
SECOND RISE
Using a bench scraper, gently lift the sourdough bread dough and place it into a greased 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan with the seam side down.
Cover the dough for the final rise. This should only take 1-2 hours, or until the dough is 1″ above the rim of the pan.
BAKE
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f.
Place the pan in the hot oven on the middle rack and bake for 50-55mins, or until golden brown on top. I like to place a baking sheet on the rack under the loaf pan, just in case any cinnamon-sugar mixture bubbles over.
Remove the sourdough cinnamon raisin swirl bread from the oven and place the bread pan on a wire rack. Keep the loaf in the tin pan for an extra 5 minutes before removing it to cool.
While it is still warm, spread butter all over the top of the bread for a super soft and shiny crust.
Place on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
How to Serve
This Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe is perfect when served warm and slightly toasted with a slab of butter. It’s the perfect way to take an ordinary breakfast or brunch and make it into an occasion!
Even when the bread gets a bit stale, I love transforming it into either delicious French Toast, French Toast Casserole, or bread pudding.
How to Store
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread will stay fresh for 3-5 days when stored in a plastic bag.
My favorite way of storing this bread is actually by freezing it. Once the bread has cooled completely, I will slice it up and store the pieces in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. I place small pieces of parchment paper in between the slices so they don’t freeze together.
To refresh, pull out some slices and bring them to room temperature or pop them straight into the toaster. Super simple, but still super tasty!
FAQs:
Why does my cinnamon swirl sourdough bread separate?
It is important to add flour to the cinnamon and sugar mixture because sugar attracts moisture. While the bread bakes, the flour helps to soak up extra liquids, keeping the cinnamon swirl intact. If there is not enough flour or too much liquid, the swirl will separate.
Happy baking!
More Recipes Like This:
Beginner’s Recipe for Sourdough Bread
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread
Cheddar and Chive Sourdough Irish Soda Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 65 grams active sourdough starter heaping 1/4 cup
- 300 grams warm water 1 1/3 cups
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup
- 25 grams white sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 400 grams bread flour 2 3/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon
- 100 grams all-purpose flour 3/4 cup
- 9 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 100 grams raisins 1/2 cup
- 240 grams boiling water 1 cup
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
- 65 grams sugar 1/3 cup
- 6 grams ground cinnamon 1 Tablespoon
- 10 grams all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
MAKE THE DOUGH
- In a straight edge bowl, whisk together the bubbly and active starter, warm water, melted butter, and sugar.I love using this straight edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see how much my dough has risen.65 grams active sourdough starter, 300 grams warm water, 25 grams white sugar, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients and mix with a Danish dough whisk or by hand until all the dry bits of flour have been incorporated and it forms a shaggy dough.400 grams bread flour, 100 grams all-purpose flour, 9 grams salt
- Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the gluten to relax.
- While the dough is resting, pour boiling water and raisins into a small bowl. Leave them to soak in the hot water.100 grams raisins, 240 grams boiling water
KNEAD THE DOUGH
- After 30 minutes, thoroughly drain and dry the raisins.
- Remove the dough cover and pour the raisins on top of the dough.
- Next, wet your fingers so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Then, take a piece of the bread dough, pull it upwards, and fold it towards the center of the dough. Push the heel of your hand into the dough.
- 9Turn the bowl clockwise a quarter turn and repeat the same motion. Continue to knead the dough for about 20 seconds. The dough should become more stiff and smooth looking. The raisins will be mixed throughout the smooth ball of dough.
BULK FERMENTATION
- Cover the bowl again and place it in a warm place to double in size.In my kitchen at 70 degrees F, the bulk rise will takes anywhere from 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time. Check often and look for signs that your dough is done, rather than the time. The dough will have doubled in size, be domed on top, remove easily from the bowl and if you are using a glass bowl, you'll see bubbles all throughout the bottom of the dough.
SHAPE THE DOUGH
- Once the dough has doubled, remove the bowl cover and punch the dough. Do so by placing your fist in the center of the dough and pushing it downwards. Punching the dough helps to release all the air bubbles. This creates a tighter crumb that you want for cinnamon raisin swirl bread.
- Remove the dough onto a clean work surface.
- Stretch the bread dough into a large rectangle on your work surface, about 8×12 inch, but doesn't have to be precise.
- With a pastry brush, brush water about 1 inch wide along the sides and 2 inches wide along the top and bottom of the rectangle. This will help seal the bread dough when shaped.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and flour. Sprinkle the rest of the dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, avoiding the edges.65 grams sugar, 10 grams all-purpose flour, 6 grams ground cinnamon
- From the short side, tightly roll the bread dough into a log, like you would a cinnamon roll. Curl the ends of the sourdough sandwich bread under itself and pinch the seams together.
SECOND RISE
- 19. Using a bench scraper, gently lift the sourdough bread dough and place it into a greased 4.5 x 8.5 loaf pan with the seam side down.
- Cover the dough for the final rise. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this will typically take 1-2 hours. Don't rush this step, allow the dough to rise until it is 1″ above the rim of the pan. Otherwise, the loaf will bake up dense and gummy.
BAKE
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the loaf pan in the hot oven on the middle rack and bake for 45-50 mins, or until golden brown on top and the internal is 190-200 degrees F. I like to place a baking sheet underneath the loaf pan, just in case some cinnamon sugar mixture bubbles over. If you notice that the top is browning too much before the loaf has finished baking, place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the loaf. for the rest of the baking time.
- Keep the loaf in the tin pan for an extra 5 minutes before removing it to cool on a wire rack.
- While the loaf is still warm, spread butter all over the top of the bread for a super soft and shiny crust.
- Place the loaf on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips
- I like to place a baking sheet on the rack under the loaf pan, just in case any cinnamon-sugar mixture bubbles over.
- Sourdough sandwich bread will stay fresh for 3-5 days when stored in a plastic bag.
- Sourdough sandwich bread freezes exceptionally well. Once the bread has cooled completely, slice and store the pieces in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Place small pieces of parchment paper in between the slices so they don’t freeze together.
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it – my family can’t get enough!
Hi
Can you make this recipe without raisens?
Absolutely!
Oh, yum! This looks so nostalgic & delish!
This looks amazing & I can’t wait to try this! You make it look so easy!
Mine seems to be doubling quicker. It’s been 5 hours. Is that ok?
Hi Kelsey! If your kitchen is warmer than 70 degrees F, this is totally normal! Your dough will rise faster in warmer environments.
Yes!!
Adding this to my list of your sourdough recipes to try! Sounds like a great weekend morning breakfast treat to have!!
If I substituted the sugar for honey do you think it would come out the same? 😅
100%! I would substitute 1 T of honey for the sugar in this recipe.
In the oven now and smells amazing! What internal temp should this be cooked to?
The internal temp should be around 200-205 degrees F. Hope you loved it!
This is my go to cinnamon raisin bread recipe. The ease of making it and the taste are a winning combination. I make 2-4 loaves at a time to freeze a few. Wonderful and easy directions with great pictures of how to make this bread. You won’t be disappointed in this bread if you try it.
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Kirstin! It really is such a tasty loaf of bread. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
I made 2 loaves of this cinnamon Raisin bread last weekend and I have my starter rising right now so I can make another 2 loaves this weekend. My whole family loved the bread, this time I am going to cook it for another 5-10 minutes though because it was a bit soggy in the bottom middle, around where the last swirl was. 10/10 recommend trying this recipe, you will not be disappointed 😋
Love this! thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Absolutely incredible! I got that compliment using this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. 🫶🏼
Hi Andrea! That’s amazing to hear! So glad everyone enjoyed this recipe.
Hello, I cant wait to make this loaf. I am wondering how you get such beautifully thin slices? Can you please share what knife and/or what type of slicer you use. Thank you!
Hi Suzanne! I like to lay the loaf on its side when I slice the bread. I also love this bread knife – https://amzn.to/3X1VXXP. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
This looks so good
I can’t wait to make this
Hope you love it, Lynne!
Love all your recipes!
Mine came out delicious but it did have quite a large cavern in the middle of the loaf in the top swirl just under the crust.
The bottom of my loaves of both this one and your sandwich bread recipe always have a slight gummy line at the bottom. Any suggestions?
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you so much! I’m so happy you loved the recipe.
The large cavern near the top swirl can happen if the dough is rolled too tightly when shaping, trapping air inside. Next time, try rolling it a bit looser and pressing gently as you shape to avoid air pockets.
The gummy line at the bottom of the loaf is often caused by over fermented dough. The gluten development starters to break dough, which prevents the dough from rising, which can create that gummy line near the bottom. Also, allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing, as cutting too soon can trap steam and make the bottom seem gummy.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you give it another try.
This bread is AMAZING! Followed directions as stated. My whole family loved it. I still dream of the swirl it was perfect. Planning to make several loaves next week for easter gifts.
Such a compliment! Thank you, Emily. I hope everyone loves your thoughtful gifts!
Love it!! Just made this recipe. I swapped half the white sugar in the cinnamon swirl mixture for brown sugar and it was also delicious! I’m so glad I fed my starter enough to make another loaf tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jennifer!
Hi! This is such a great recipe. My family absolutely loved this loaf so much!! I was wondering if you’ve tried refrigerating the dough at all before baking?
Hi Stefanie! So thrilled you and your family love this recipe. Yes! You can store the shaped loaf in the fridge for an extended cold proof. When you’re ready to bake, pull it out of the fridge, let it rise 1 inch above the rim and bake. Since the dough is cold, this will take longer to complete. Enjoy!
I just made this today and I could not believe how delicious it was. It was so soft and the raisins complement the cinnamon so well. Will definitely be saving this recipe! Thank you for posting such an amazing recipe 😊
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Yas! Thank you so much for sharing!
Making for the first time tonight, so far it’s all going well! I only have a glass bread pan, is the bake temp and time the same? (I’ve seen before to decrease the temp and increase the time if in glass..)
Thank you!
Hi Kim! Yay, I’m so glad you’re making it! Yes — if you’re using a glass bread pan, you’re right that it retains heat differently. I recommend reducing the oven temperature by about 25°F (so bake at 350°F instead of 375°F) and adding 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time. Just keep an eye on it toward the end and check for that golden brown top and the internal temperature should be 205 degrees F. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
I baked this today and it is AMAZING! Definitely a keeper recipe. Your recipe and detailed directions were so easy to follow. Thank you!!
This makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad you loved it — and thank you for the kind words about the directions, that means a lot. Definitely one of our favorites too.
I already sang this recipes praises on Instagram a couple of months ago but I just made 6 more loaves in the past month and figured I would leave a comment here as well. I’ve made this recipe at least a dozen times since I found it and it never fails. I have shared with many family/friends and just sent half a loaf on a plane with my mom to give to my grandma (she loves cinnamon raisin toast for breakfast) – everyone raves about it. The time commitment is reasonable – no need to babysit the dough. I’ve been playing with the way I roll the dough to get my swirl all the way to the ends. Occasionally I get a little air pocket on top of the loaf during the second rise but I just poke a hole and pinch it back closed before I pop it in the oven. I was having trouble timing a standard sourdough boule and went looking for alternative ways to use my starter and have success making something – so happy I found this recipe. It’s perfect!
Wow—thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment (and for sharing on Instagram too!). It truly means the world to me! I’m beyond happy to hear this recipe has become such a staple in your kitchen—and how special that it’s even made its way to your grandma on a plane!
Can you do an overnight second rise in the fridge like a cold proof and then bake?
You certainly can, but know that the cinnamon sugar draws out moisture from the dough, which will most likely leak out. If you do give it a go, be sure the loaf is well sealed when you roll it up! If you notice any sugar pooling, it usually bakes up just fine—it just might caramelize a bit more along the edges. Let the loaf come to room temp while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
Can the sourdough discard recipe you offered be used to make this bread? Have you tried that? I used the discard recipe and it was the first loaf I’ve ever made and it turned out great.
Certainly! When you’re ready to shape the loaf, use this recipe for ingredients measurements and how-to instructions. Then continue with my Discard Sandwich loaf. Hope you love this flavor combination!
When do we put the raisins in the dough
Once you mix/knead the dough, let the dough rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prep your raisins. After 30 minutes, knead the raisins into the dough by hand, then cover and leave it to double in size.
Have you ever made this as a boule?
Could you combine this recipe using your discard sandwich bread recipe for a faster turnout? I want to try to make this for a friend in need but would have to do it quicker than 13 hours.
Absolutely! Once the discard sandwich dough has doubled in size, follow the cinnamon sugar filling/shaping instructions on this recipe and then allow it complete its second rise before baking. Bake until 190-210 degrees F internal temp is reached. I hope your friend loves this bread! So sweet of you to help her in her time of need.
I want to use currants instead of raisins. also, can I use coconut or date, or maple sugar?
Yes, currants should work great in place of raisins They’re a little smaller and drier, so you may want to soak them the same way (or even a few extra minutes) so they stay soft in the bread.
And yes — you can substitute the sugar with coconut sugar, date sugar, or maple sugar. Just keep in mind they may slightly deepen the color of the dough and add a richer flavor, but the recipe will still work well. Happy baking!
I think I nailed it. Nice swirl, finally, and soft texture. And it is delicious!
Yay! I’m so glad it turned out soft and delicious. Thank you so much for coming back to share — happy baking!
I baked your recipe …. Amazing
My one comment is I think your nutrition values are incorrect
Serving: 1g | Calories: 2970kcal | Carbohydrates: 559g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 3562mg | Potassium: 1385mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 92g | Vitamin A: 1450IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 12mg
Is the serving size incorrect or am I understanding that a 1 gram serving is 2970 calories?
Thanks
Monica
Thank you so much for baking it — I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And you’re absolutely right to question that. The nutrition information should be for one loaf, not 1 gram — that was a formatting error on my end.
I’ve gone ahead and corrected it in the recipe card. I really appreciate you taking the time to point it out!