Sourdough Fruit Bread Recipe with Cinnamon {plus variations}

Step 1

Autolyse:Weigh out your starter, water and honey in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix them together so that the honey is dissolved in the water (or at least really well distributed).Then add your flour and salt and mix altogether with the end of a wooden spoon. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together.Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 hour.

Step 2

Forming Up Your Dough:Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside, stretching it up and over itself until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than about 20-25 folds to form the ball.Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Stretch & Fold / Adding the Fruit:You need to add the dried fruit to your dough during the stretch and fold phase. It's very easy to do! Try to add the fruit around the second or third set of stretch and folds. So do your first set of stretch and folds with the dough as is and then add the fruit on the second (or third) set depending on how your dough is behaving. Try to do around 4 sets of stretch and folds with around 15 to 30 minutes between each set.

Step 4

Bulk Ferment:Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment. See notes below.

Step 5

Shaping Your Dough:Once your dough has finished its first ferment, it's time to give it some shape and surface tension. This loaf is a little different in that you will now add some cinnamon to the dough before you shape it. I think this recipe lends itself to a batard however it's completely up to you what shape you would like.Before you shape your dough - mix the butter, cinnamon and all purpose flour into a paste. Set aside.Ease your dough out of the bowl with the smooth side on the counter and the sticky side up. Pull it into a loose rectangle and spread with the butter and cinnamon mixture. Be careful to leave a border around the edges so that when you shape it the cinnamon is contained and does not leak out of the dough.Once you have shaped your loaf, make sure you tension the dough tightly to ensure that the cinnamon does not leak out. Place it into a floured banneton.If you need help with shaping, you'll find instructions for a batard here and boule here.

Step 6

Cold Ferment:Now your dough is in it's "shaping container" cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place into the fridge. I use a large plastic bag to cover it - I just reuse it each time.Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum 5 hours up to a maximum of around 36 hours. The longer you leave it the better your bread will be! A longer cold ferment creates beautiful blisters on your crust and a deeper sourdough flavour.

Step 7

Preparing To Bake:Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven so just adjust this time if you need to.Leave your dough in the fridge until the very last minute - placing a cold dough into a hot oven will give you a great "spring".

Step 8

Time to Bake!When your oven is at temperature. Take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper.Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife - a single slash or cross is perfect for this loaf.Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.BAKE TIME:30 Minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F plus10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210C/410F

Step 9

Finishing The Bake:When you remove your dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the dutch oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool.