artisan sourdough

<p class="p1"><i>This beginner sourdough recipe is perfect for bakers looking to jump right in! It's is a low-hydration dough, meaning it will yield a 'tight' crumb (small holes). It is great for sandwiches and toast.</i></p>

Sourdough Bread: A Beginner's Guide

150 grams/ 5.35 oz bubbly, active starter

250 grams/ 8.80 oz warm water, preferably filtered*

grams/ .90 oz olive oil

500 grams/ 17.65 oz bread flour (not all purpose flour)

grams/ .4 oz fine sea salt

cornmeal,

**You will need a 5 1/2 or 6 quart Dutch oven

Whisk the starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Squish everything together with your hands until all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be dry and shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, reusable wrap or a clean, very damp kitchen towel. Let rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, if preferred.

After the dough has rested, work the dough in the bowl into a rough ball, about 15 seconds.

Make the Dough

Cover the bowl with wrap or a very damp kitchen cloth. Let rest in a warm spot to rise. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment. For example, in the summer rise times can take anywhere between 3-4 hours @ 85 F whereas in the winter, the dough will take about 10-12 hours @ 68 F.

Bulk Rise

During bulk rise, you have the option to perform a series of &#8216;stretch &amp; folds&#8217; to strengthen the dough. Start 30 minutes into the bulk rise. Gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process until you have come full circle to complete 1 set. Do this once or twice spaced about an hour apart. Although this step is not mandatory, it will increase the total volume and height of your bread. Click here for a step-by-step video tutorial.

Optional Step: Stretch &amp; Fold the Dough

Divide your work surface in half; lightly flour one side (for cutting) and leave the other half clean (for shaping).

Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto the floured section so that it does not stick. You do not need to &#8216;punch down&#8217; the dough; it will gently deflate as you fold and shape it.

Cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves, or leave it whole for a single loaf.

To shape, use a bench scraper to move your dough to the non-floured section (if there is any flour present, it will be difficult to shape- brush away any excess). Starting at the top, fold the dough over toward the center. Give it a slight turn, and then fold over the next section of dough. Repeat until you have come full circle.

Then flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Using your hands, gently cup the sides of the dough and rotate it, using quarter turns in a circular motion. You can also pull it towards you to even out the shape. Repeat this process until you are happy with its appearance. *See note below.

Cut &amp; Shape the Dough

Now the dough needs to rise again, but for a shorter period of time.

Coat the bottom of your Dutch oven with cornmeal. Alternatively, use parchment paper to prevent sticking (this is what I do, now). Place the dough inside for a second shorter rise, about 30 minutes to 1 hour and cover with the lid of the pot or a very damp cloth. The dough ready when it is slightly puffy but not double in size.

Preheat your oven to 450 F towards the tail end of the second rise.

Second Rise

Right before your bread goes into the oven, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough. Use a bread lame, sharp pairing or a small serrated steak knife.

Score the Dough

Place the bread into the oven on the center rack (lid on) and reduce the temperature to 400 F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 40 minutes or until deep, golden brown. Keep in mind that all ovens are different; you might have to make minimal adjustments to these temperatures.

You can also take the internal temperature of your bread to double check that it is done. For sourdough, it should read about 205-210 F.

Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. Don&#8217;t cut too soon or else the inside will have a gummy texture!

Bake the Dough

Thank u so much for your recipe! I am trying it right now and so far very pleased. I have been comparing many recipes and so far your s seems to be by far the clearest to understand.

I am recipe resistant. I feel obligated to embellish. This time I followed to the letter. Great result! The only difference is that, with each feeding, I add a pinch of diastatic malt powder and a few drops of lemon juice to the starter

This dish looks delicious and nutritious. I really like it. I have tried it many times but still not as good as today. I follow your recipe and I have a delicious meal. May I ask if I add more flour to this dish is it okay? What do you think?

How long after feeding the starter can i put it in the fridge? Straight away, or do i have to wait for it to ferment?

Also, when taking it out of the fridge, does it need to warm up before feeding it again?

Our son sent us this recipe after getting into Sourdough baking (with starter from his sister).  What a beautiful loaf this recipe produced!  We did stretch the dough and we proofed it in a closed oven with the light on.  Perfect temp!  Wet baked it on an oblong Dutch oven, scoring it in three places.  Everything worked perfectly!
Thank you for Fabulous recipe!

This recipe had served me so well in making sourdough bread. Thank you for the inspiration to make easy, delicious bread.

Do you have any other recipes using this starter?

I've made this recipe several times with great success, but the last two times after the bulk raise, the dough is completely slack and sticky.  I've added flour to handle it, but then it won't raise for the shorter raise before going in the oven.  What is happening?

I have used this recipe time and time again, and it always produces the perfect loaf. It’s a great low maintenance recipe with plenty of optional easily made adjustments that don’t sacrifice the quality of the loaf. I send it to all my friends, from beginners to seasoned sourdough bakers, and everyone loves it.

This recipe produces a delicious sour dough loaf with great bubbles. But although I've  followed the recipe carefully each time, the dough is too saggy to properly shape. it stays quite sticky so that it just spreads on baking. No boule shape remains after baking.  Should I change the quantities, or knead it?

This recipe is amazing - first time making sourdough! It is very user friendly. 

Quick question - can I proof in the fridge overnight so that it is ready to be baked in the morning? 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE!!

I’ve been using this recipe for months and absolutely love it.  The bread always comes out delicious, and when we have kerrygold butter on hand it rarely lasts to the next day.  Would I be able to bake this bread in loaf pans?  If so, how would that change the baking time?  Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe!

I love this recipe - so easy to follow and the bread is amazing! However, I have the opposite problem from so many other people - my bread after to autolysis looks nothing like yours. It is dry and is extremely hard to stretch. I’ve increased the water to 280g and it still is hard to handle. It tastes amazing, but it’s the nice beautiful shape like you get. Thoughts? Just add more water? Thanks again for the very easy and tasty recipe!

I’ve followed this recipe twice now and both times had great results. A different, more involved recipe really let me down so I’m back to this one! Relatively quick and easy process compared to some that call for 4 days of work before baking. I did notice this bread comes out a bit gummy, even after letting it cool for several hours. What can I do for it to be less dense and chewy inside? Also, my crust stays kinda pale and never gets golden brown. Do I need to bake longer or something?

Whenever I need to use up a lot of starter at one time, this is my go-to recipe.  I've made it with freshly fed starter many times, but I've also made it with starter that was straight out of the fridge and hadn't been fed in several days and it worked great. I always end up adding the extra water to get a higher hydration because I like working with doughs of that texture better. this recipe just seems to work no matter what I do, maybe because there is SO much starter in it - it has not choice but to perform!  When I use the starter straight from the fridge, the dough takes a little longer to get going, but it always does eventually. This time I experimented with adding about 120 grams of pumpkin puree (because I wanted a nice golden tinted bread)  in the initial stage with the starter, thinking that it would take the place of some of the water.  Strangely enough, it was still way too stiff - I still ended up having to add the full 325 grams of water, even with the pumpkin puree.  I was surprised by how little moisture the pumpkin ended up adding, given that it is usually considered a liquid ingredient.  It also made the dough stickier than I would have expected.  In addition to the pumpkin, I also added some chiffonaded fresh sage leaves,  120 grams of chopped sautéed pancetta, 120 grams of diced Reggiano Parmigiano, crushed black pepper, and a little garlic powder.  It is SO GOOD!!! Thanks for this virtually foolproof recipe!!

Admiring the time and energy you put into your site and in depth information you present.
It's good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same old rehashed information. Fantastic read!
I've saved your site and I'm adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

Yes, you’re reading it correctly! It just heats up nice and hot to 450 with nothing in the oven, then when it reaches temp, you pop the lid on your pot, put it in the oven and immediately drop the temp to 400 for baking :) It yields a nice crusty bread, you’ll love it! Enjoy!

Will it help the dough to rise if I put a teaspoon of sugar in the first phase of mixing starter, water and olive oil?

I have tried other sour dough bread recipes but this one is the easiest and the best.

My first try at this recipe is autolysing as I type! I’m planning to split the dough in two and just bake half right now. How long will the other half keep in the fridge wrapped in a damp tea towel as you advise?

My loaves cook up nicely as shown except they always burn black on the very bottom before they get to 250 degrees.  Could my oven be too hot?  I put them on a mid to high center rack in a le cruset dutch oven.

“Watch the dough, not the clock”
Thank you so much for this! It will become my baking mantra. I have just made the most beautiful crusty and tasty sour dough ever. It took a very very long while, it’s about 20degrees in the house at the moment. I started on Saturday and baked on Monday. As an experiment, I was determined not to move on from one process to the next until the dough was ready even if it meant throwing away a mouldy mess after three weeks. More than 24hrs first rising and 4 for the final rise. The bread is beautiful and I have experienced a lightbulb moment. At 65yrs old is it just possible that “patience” has finally come to me?

Thank you so much for this recipe, with your tips, mine worked out great using All purpose flour.

I was intimidated to start making sourdough, i love bread so much i didnt want to mess it up!
Thank you thank you thank you

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/6d6x2gPy.mp4

A simple and easy technique that strengthens the gluten and incorporates air into bread dough

How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough 

A simple and easy recipe for homemade sourdough sandwich bread. Made with all purpose flour and just a touch of butter. I like to make the dough at night so we can have fresh bread in the morning. This loaf freezes well (whole or sliced). I recommend this 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Notes
For best results, please weigh your ingredients instead of using measuring cups. 
Here's why: weight and volume measurements are not equal, only approximate! This is especially important regarding the sourdough starter. If your starter is very bubbly, 1/4 cup might only weigh 30 g which is too little for this recipe (you need 50 g). The dough will take forever to rise! Same goes for the flour... 4 cups might end up weighing way over 500 g depending on how tight the flour was packed into the cup. You'll end up with dry dough.
I used Whole Foods 365 Everyday all purpose flour for this recipe. King Arthur and Trader Joe's ap flour will work as well. If using another brand with a lower protein content (i.e. Gold Medal, Pillsbury, Heckers) consider reducing the total water amount by 15 g.

Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread

500 g (4 cups) all purpose flour

60 g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

g (1 tbsp.) sugar

g fine sea salt

50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)**

270 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water

g starter + 255 g water

g starter + 250 g water

Baking Schedule: this is an overnight dough which takes approximately 10-12 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. If it&#8217;s warmer than 68 F the dough will take less time to rise. Alternatively, start in the morning and bake in the afternoon or evening. 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until combined; the butter should look like crumbs.

Add the starter and warm water. Mix until the flour is fully absorbed (get in there with your hands to finish mixing). The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, replenish you starter with fresh flour and water.

After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook and run the machine on medium-low (#3 on a KitchenAid) for 6-8 minutes. The dough will feel soft and supple and not stick to your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour.

Mix the Dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) until double in size, about 10-12 hrs. Please refer to the Baking Schedule above for additional rise time options.

In the morning, coat a 9&#215;5-inch pan with butter.

Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the surface to release any large air bubbles.

Roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Rest for 5-10 minutes. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Using a bench knife, place the dough into the loaf pan seam side down.

Shape the Dough

Cover the dough with lightly oiled or buttered plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until it has risen to about 1-inch above the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2-2 hours depending on temperature and the amount of sourdough starter used. Check the height by looking at the domed center portion of the dough.

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Note: For higher oven spring, preheat to 500 F instead. Reduce to 375 F once the dough goes into the oven and bake as directed.

Bake the dough on the center rack for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

This sandwich loaf will stay fresh for up to 3 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Dear Emilie, 
I was so elated by the outcome of this recipe considering a few failures with sourdough breads. It came out so well. Since I live in a humid place I started the dough around 10 in the morning post a couple of feedings to my starter. It took only 4 hours for the bulk fermentation. I tried the poke test to make sure that the dough is ready for shaping ( I was nervous because I didn't want it to over proof or under proof). With crossed fingers I did the shaping and placed it inside the mould and let it rest for 2 hours and baked it in the evening. It came out perfectly EXCEPT the fact that it cracked a bit on the sides. Had a good oven spring as well. Would scoring on top will avoid the cracking? I have posted it on Instagram and tagged you. Please have a look and thank you so much for this recipe.

Hi Emilie - I absolutely love this bread and have made it several times. Earlier I had asked about scaling it up - and I have been able to do that successfully as well. I'm reading the comments again and see a recurring theme - an issue I have as well. I can not get the kind of rise you describe on my 2nd rise. I'm careful to watch it for proofing so end up baking it without the dough reaching the top. I get a good oven spring, but  it's still only a couple of inches above the pan. Internal texture is perfect. Flavor is great. But it's just not a very tall loaf. So, I'm wondering about adding a little yeast to the recipe - what might be the effect, if any? And how much would I use?

I, too have the same problem, watch bulk rise carefully, but no second rise. The bread is still good, if a bit dense, I used it for a batch of homemade garlic croutons, yummy! FYI, my starter is mature, and active. What I am doing now, is increasing the starter amount to  approx 3/4 cup, or 150 g. At 100% hydration, I then reduced the flour and water by 50 g each, to account for the additional 100 g of starter. This should shorten the bulk rise, and make the second rise more robust. A mature starter should still have enough sourdough flavor for that to be fine. The tiny amount of starter in this recipe seems to be the problem. I have never seen a sourdough bread recipe that calls for less than at least a half cup of starter, that didn’t call for additional yeast or baking powder or soda, or both.  I’ll let you know how it turns out. :)

Your adjustments worked for me as well- thanks! Wonderful bread!

Looks so very fluffy and delicious😍💕

This is an excellent recipe. Thanks CC!!!

This is one of my favorite sourdough recipes ever. I am trying to pass it on to a friend who doesn’t have a stand mixer-what would you recommend for adapting the recipe?

She could do it by hand! It will take longer, especially the kneading part (6-8 minutes in stand mixer). She will just knead it until it is smooth and elastic. She will get a workout for sure!

Mine came out dense and gummy but tasty. Like a lot of others on here it didn’t rise much during the second rise so i wonder if it needs more starter or maybe a pinch of yeast. I weighed all of my ingredients and I’m not a novice baker. I’ll try again because it was fun to make and it did taste good.

We have made this recipe a dozen times now and it is our go-to sandwich bread, thank goodness my coworker passed it along to me! I follow a Low FODMAP diet and the only gluten allowed is sourdough bread (I don't remember why, honestly, Google it if you're curious) but it must be wild fermented for a minimum 12 hours, 24 is better, 36 is the best. So this recipe works great as is if your guts are on the less reactive side, but adding a cold rise is a good way to get more fermentation time and sourness.

We also prefer a heartier loaf so we've been trading out a portion of the AP flour for whole wheat or white whole wheat. So far, we've only swapped out up to 1/3 the total (we're trying 1/2 this weekend). However, the starter gets too excited with whole grains and an overnight rise where you aren't able to keep an eye on it will definitely over-proof the dough in a warmer setting (we're usually between 72-74 F). So, I mix the dough night before, give it 1-2 hours on the countertop to get going, then pop it in the fridge overnight. First thing in the morning, I take it out and let it come to room temp and rise throughout the day, checking in on it periodically to make sure it doesn't go much beyond the double rise, usually 8-10 hours depending on whether I'm baking other stuff and the kitchen gets warmer than usual. Then follow as written for shaping and final rise. 

So, this turns into more of a 24 hour affair than a 12 hour 1, but it's no more labor intensive. I usually start Saturday morning with feeding starter, make dough in the evening, rise in the fridge overnight, warm up and rise on the counter all day Sunday, shape and rise in the evening, bake off that night. The only thing we haven't figured out is why we keep getting a big bubble at the top of the loaf, but all things considered that's pretty minor!

I knew I forgot something...wheat flour is extra thirsty, so I tend to add 20-40g more water depending on how much I swap out

Thanks for the tips Helen. I gave the recipe a try using 1/3 wheat flour along with the tip of popping it into the fridge overnight and it worked out great.

Hello! I’ve made this bread many times now and love it. I was wondering if I can use whole wheat bread flour instead of AP? I bought the wrong flour so wanted to see if I can use it for this sandwich bread and if I needed to adjust the water amount? Thanks!

I use 350g of whole-wheat flour and 150g of AP flour, add an additional 10g sugar, and it turns out wonderful!
It's especially delicious when you use Sonora White whole wheat!

Healthy(ish)

Followed your starter recipe with success. Made this loaf for the first time using my now 1 month old starter (Sammy) and it too worked out perfect. Thanks so much for the easy to follow instructions and GREAT recipes, I may just conquer sourdough after all.

Thanks for the recipe Emilie! I just made this side by side with the country farmhouse white recipe in your cookbook. I honestly thought I would prefer this recipe, because butter, but like everyone else this recipe didn't rise very well. It still tastes delicious, but it's definitely a bit more flat and dense in comparison to the other loaf. I think I'll try it again in the future but with slightly more starter. Thanks!

I make this sandwich bread all the time its always amazing . Our weather in Colorado is cooling off at night so I went with the 100 grams of starter and 255 water . I Started baking  at 8:00 pm About 65 degrees overnight on the counter and by 7:00 a.m. it was ready and looked beautiful!   My dough seemed a little drier than usual but it shaped up and looked awesome.
Thank you so much your recipes are easiest and the best!

Easy recipe with clear instructions. However my bread crack at the side during baking. Why is this so?

Wonderful recipe! The bread came out perfect! Thank you😁

My dough took longer for the bulk rise than I expected (weather here is finally cooling off) and now I don't have time to bake tonight. Should I put the dough in the fridge in the same container, or should I shape and place in the bread pan before putting in the fridge overnight? I've been making this dough every week for months now and absolutely love it! Thanks for helping me to master at least one great sourdough recipe!

Hi! Is it possible to use oil instead of butter for this recipe, and would it be the same amount? Also, is there a reason you use AP flour and not bread flour? I'm excited to try a recipe with AP flour. Thank you!

I've made this bread several times now and it is consistently the BEST!! My favorite sourdough recipe by far. Soft, tender, flavorful and easy to slice thin. Most recently added "EVERYTHING" seasoning and that really adds a nice flavor. Thanks for sharing!!!

Thank you for the feedback.  I used breadcalc.com to adjust the recipe up to 1000g.  I noticed during the second rise that I probably should have adjusted it up to 1100g.   After 3 1/2 hours in the second rise, it was still about two inches below the top of the pullman loaf pan (13 x 4).  I went ahead and baked it for about 50 minutes and took the top off after about 40 minutes.  The bread didn't reach to the top of the pan. 

The bread came out light colored on the top, but the crumb turned out very good.  The flavor had a bit more tang to it than my other go to sourdough sandwich bread, but this recipe had a longer initial bulk rise time.  I really enjoyed it.  I think that this will now be my go to recipe for sandwich bread.

Wow, this bread is amazing! I didn't get quite the rise I'd hoped for before baking, but I got a solid oven spring, and the texture and flavor of the finished loaf are perfect. This is a new go-to recipe for me!

I’m genuinely shocked that this recipe worked for me! I don’t have much kitchen equipment (hello, early 20s), so I used the cup/tbsp measurements and mixed by hand. Keep in mind, this was my first ever attempt at sourdough. It tastes and looks perfect. I don’t even know if I want to try another recipe after this!

One question i have about sandwhich bread, why do we need sugar? I’m new to all this. But i have been making sourdough for a few months. I’m going to test this recipe out, but i often wonder about how much sugar and why?

This is a great recipe! It was moist and delicious. Thanks for all the modifications and notes, I made a double batch and used the 100g of starter modification. I’m excited to play around with it and thrilled it went so well my first attempt. Appreciate it!

Iw as wondering if this recipe can be adapted to make with active yeast?  I've tried a few active yeast recipes but we've preferred this sourdough recipe overall, but it does have a mild sourdough taste - trying to satisfy a picky child ;)

Thank you! I needed a tad more water but it worked just fine.

Absolutely love this recipe! It is fantastic! Making it twice per week. Thanks for so much detail and sharing your talent.

Quick question...each time I’ve made this, there is a large gap on the inside mid loaf to the top...suggestion? Do I need to knead it longer or possibly proof less time? Other than this, it’s excellent!

I have made the basic sourdough twice and am now making the sandwich bread.  My family loves the bread!  Quick question - have you ever mailed loaves of bread?  I am thinking of making loaves and sending for holiday gifts.  Any shipping tips would be great!  Thanks so much!  I am putting your cookbook on my Christmas list! :)

Love this recipe, I add 2 TBSP everything bagel seasoning for a little extra twist and it comes out perfect. One question- why does this recipe not require stretching the dough at all after kneading?

Greetings from Malaysia! Thanks to the corona virus I’ve ventured into more challenging recipes for baking. I made your sourdough raisin cinnamon loaf a week ago and it was sooo good I’ve had to make another 3 since! It was my first attempt at making sourdough bread (grew my starter 6 days prior to baking) and I’m so glad I found your blog! Today I decided to try your recipe for sandwich bread. I like a bit of texture in my bread so I substituted 100g AP flour with whole-wheat flour and it turned out amazing. So soft and fluffy! Love love love your recipes!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8hoIMEqRM

Learn how to master this simple shaping technique for sourdough sandwich bread. Full recipe here: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2020/04/easy-sourdough-sandwich-bread/

How to Shape Sourdough Sandwich Bread

We make these sourdough hot cross buns all year round. They're delightfully fluffy, not too sweet, and enjoyed by all- especially the kids! If I'm pressed for time, I'll do the glaze only and skip the cross.
A quick note about the flour: I use King Arthur bread flour for this recipe. It has a high protein content of about 12.7%. This is what gives the sourdough buns a lofty, high rise. If you're using a different brand of flour, with a lesser protein content (i.e. Gold Medal) consider reducing the milk by 25 g for similar results.

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

240 g (1 cup) milk, whole or 2%

flour

sugar

g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active starter

egg (50 g)

tsp pure vanilla extract

cinnamon

tsp pumpkin pie spice

apricot jam (I like Bonne Maman)

water

tbsp cream cheese, softened

tbsp unsalted butter, softened

sugar,

tsp half-n-half or milk

Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave and set aside. Note: if you use cold milk straight from the fridge, the dough will take longer to rise.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter, cube by cube, with the machine running. The goal is to evenly disperse the butter throughout the flour; rub any large pieces together with your fingertips. 

Add the warm milk, starter, and egg to the bowl. Mix for 1 minute to combine. With your hands, work the dough into a rough ball incorporating any dry bits of flour at the bottom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the chopped raisins in the vanilla extract. 

After the dough has rested, add the raisins (and any liquid), cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl.

Using the dough hook, mix on medium-low speed, about 3 on a KitchenAid for 8 minutes. If the dough starts to climb up the side of the bowl, stop the machine and push it back down. The dough will be smooth and supple when finished. It should not stick to your hands. If it does, add a sprinkle of flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (about 68 F) for 12-18 hours. The dough is ready when it has tripled in size. Optional Step: about 1 hour into the bulk rise, I like to do 1 set of stretch and folds. I&#8217;ll do another set about 1 hour later. This technique will speed up the bulk rise time and the overall volume of the baked buns. **See note below. 

The following day, generously coat the bottom and sides of a 9&#215;13-inch pan with butter.

Remove the dough onto your work surface- no need to flour the surface first. Gently shape the dough into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces, about 92 g ea.

To shape into balls: working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the sides over towards the center. Flip it over, keep it on the counter, and roll it into a ball with the palm of your hand. Place the balls into the pan, evenly spaced, 3 across and 4 down.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. This can take up to 2-3 hours at 68 F. Personally, I like to use the proofing box or oven trick at this point (again, see me note below). The rise will only take about 1 1/2- 2 hours @ 75-80 F. The dough should look very puffy and plump when ready. Do not rush this step; the buns will be dense.

While the dough is resting, make the icing for the cross. In a small bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and half-n-half. Add additional liquid as needed; the texture should be thick enough to pipe. Put the icing into a ziptop bag with the tip snipped off, or in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate to firm up before using. You will not use all of the icing. Save the rest for another use.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.  Place the dough inside, center rack. Reduce the heat to 350. Bake for 28-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the apricot jam and a splash of water in a saucepan.

Remove the buns from the oven. Brush the tops with some of the glaze while they&#8217;re still hot.

When the buns are COMPLETELY COOL, pipe the cream cheese icing on top going in one direction first, and then the other. Do not make an individual cross on top of each as you go- it will drive you crazy.

Serve the buns fresh at room temperature.

Before you begin: This is an overnight dough which takes approximately 12-18 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. See my note below on how to speed up the rise time in chilly weather. Enjoy!

Tried it today. The buns came out beautifully. My critic (wife) loves them. Great recipe.

Thanks so much for letting me know. I made them this morning, after a 12 hour room temp rise using a high protein All purpose flour  (from my local farmer) with great results. Thanks so much for the recipe.

Sharon

A twist on a classic, this soft sourdough cinnamon raisin bread recipe gets a noteworthy upgrade with tangy sourdough and vanilla soaked raisins. We love it toasted with cream cheese or melted butter and it makes great french toast!

Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread {with vanilla-soaked raisins!}

500 g (4 cups) bread flour

unsalted

g (2 tbsp.) sugar

100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)*

240 g (1 cup) warm water

85 g (1/2 cup) raisins

tbsp pure vanilla extract

Baking Schedule: this is an overnight dough which takes approximately 8-12 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. Alternatively, if you&#8217;re making this in the summer and it&#8217;s warmer than 68 F, the dough will take less time to rise, about 4-6 hrs @ 80+ F. Instead of the overnight option (which might lead to over proofed dough), let it rise during the day to bake later in the afternoon or evening.

Add the flour, butter, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine on low speed until the butter looks like crumbs. Add the starter and warm water. Mix until the flour is fully absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the vanilla extract. Drain and squeeze dry in a paper towel before using. 

After the dough has rested, add the raisins to the bowl. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low (#3 on a KitchenAid) for 6-8 minutes. The dough will feel soft and supple when ready. If it&#8217;s sticky, add a little bit of flour.

Note

In lieu of using a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand without the raisins for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 1 hour. Add the raisins during your first stretch and fold; they will be much easier to incorporate at this stage.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) until double in size, about 8-12 hrs. Please refer to the Baking Schedule above for alternative rise time options.

To stretch and fold the dough, begin 30-minutes to 1 hour into the bulk rise. Grab a portion of the dough and stretch it upward. Fold the dough over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a one-quarter turn and repeat: stretch the dough upward and fold it over toward the center. Continue until you have come full circle to complete 1 set, or 4 folds around the bowl. Rest the dough for 30 minutes and then do a second set. For step-by-step instructions and video click here.

Bulk Rise with Stretch &amp; Folds

In the morning, coat an 8.5 x 4-inch loaf pan with butter. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and flour in a small bowl; set aside.

Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat, flatten and stretch the dough to release any large air bubbles. Roll the dough into a 6 x 20-inch rectangle with a rolling pin. Gently score a 1-inch border around the sides leaving a 2-inch border at the very top to seal the dough (you are not cutting through the dough just marking it). Brush the entire surface with the egg wash or water, if using. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture inside the border. Slowly roll the dough into a log pinching the ends to seal. Place the dough into the loaf pan seam side down.

Cover the dough and let rest at room temperature until it has risen to about 1-inch above the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2- 2 hours depending on temperature. Check the height by looking at the domed center portion of the dough.

Preheat your oven to 375 F towards the tail end of the second rise.

Place the loaf pan on the center rack and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

This loaf will stay fresh for up to 3 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Made two loaves this weekend for sharing with our two adult boys. They are great fans of anything cinnamon sugar--poptarts, cinnamon rolls, bread--so I am confident they  will love this sourdough bread. Appreciate  the detailed instructions, video, and picture support in your recipes.

Hello Eilie, I tried this recipe and it came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

Oh, my!  Such sweet (and sourdough) fluffy goodness.  It came out perfectly, and I really took some liberties on when I performed the second stretch/fold (I got sidetracked and did it after a couple hours), and I even  rolled it up and put it in the pan a tad early, popped into the fridge overnight.  Let it sit out room temp and rise . . . for a couple hours.  Preheated oven and in and out and perfect!  thank you!

This is the third time I have made this. I wanted to make to loaves so I doubled everything. I am about to put it in the oven and both loves look great! I didn’t have raisins so I used cinnamon apple jammies. Anxious to see how that turns out! I will post an update.

I’ve tried sourdough cinnamon raisin bread using several different recipes and then tried yours without making any changes to it like I had before and made the most delicious, CHEWY cinnamon raisin bread! I had too much sourdough so did the “faster” option that uses more and chopped up the raisin since my kids aren’t big fans of it. Even my husband commented that it was extra chewy. The King Arthur version was dry so I’m very pleased.  The only thing I need to improve on is that I ended up with big holes in the middle. I remember reading about that so have to take another look and figure it out. Thanks for the recipe! It’s really the best cinnamon bread I’ve ever had.

I make this recipe regularly! It is loved by everyone that tries it!  However, I get gaps/almost tunnels every single time.   I have tried rolling the bread at varying tightness and I have also majorly adjusted how high I let it rise the 2nd time, but no matter what I do, a section of the bread has a gap.  Any other ideas for me to change?  Thank you!

This is the ONLY bread I have to make at least twice a week, my kids refuse to eat store brought after trying this loaf! Delicious

I LOVE baking this recipe!!!! My kids always ask for it and it’s a favorite in our household! With 3 toddlers and a husband eating it I have to swipe a few slices to hide so I can eat them later! I do want to try it with commercial yeast, just to see what it’s like!

Amazing bread. Great recipe. Keeper in my books.

I've made this bread several times and it is a crowd pleaser! If you follow the directions it always comes out perfectly. I have done the stretch and fold as well and didn't notice that much of a difference. Great both ways! Thanks!

This was my first time making a bread like this.  It turned out perfect and delicious!n Thank you so much for such perfect guidance and recipe!  Will be doing this again!

I made this bread and it turned out perfectly.  My question is, could you use the dough for the sourdough cinnamon rolls instead of this dough?  Would that dough work in a loaf format?

This perfectly baked bread had a delicious sourdough flavor with sweet yet subtle fall spice undertones, with bursting gems of vanilla soaked raisins in every bite. The deep brown tightly rolled cinnamon swirl is as gorgeous as it is delicious. Pair with hot coffee and friendship. Highly recommend.

I have a question, I recently baked it was very delicious however my cinnamon swirl seemed think. Is it brown sugar or white? I also didn’t use the raisins could that be why? Let me know. It was delicious either way!

This is one of my favorite recipes now! I've baked it a few times and it always comes out just perfect. Thank you for the wonderful recipe and super clear instructions!

I baked this today during then Nor’Easter we are having.  It came out perfectly. Thank you for this delicious and easy to follow recipe.  Yum!

I baked the bread this morning.  It is very delicious.  The issue I noticed is the raisins are definitely no longer whole.  It appears mixing them into the dough using the Kitchenaid seemed to break them up and spread the raisin flavor and color throughout the bread.  We are raisin lovers, so that is not a problem.  I do notice the bread, not the cinnamon swirl, seems a bit gummy/sticky.  I baked for about 55 minutes and the internal temperature was 197 degrees (and rising).  Any suggestions for the next loaf?  Thanks!

WHOA this came out sooooo delicious!!!!! My husband hates raisins so I swapped in dried cranberries but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and I can’t believe I haven’t made this sooner! It’s very easy and unbelievably tasty!

Wow! A beautiful loaf and so delicious. The tutorial and video made the recipe very easy to follow. Everyone loved the result the loaf was devoured in one sitting.

A perfect recipe for our breakfast.  Yummy!

I don't usually post feedback for any recipes, but this one is definitely going in the record. Absolutely delicious, though because i like my raisin bread loaded, it is loaded with 25% fruit! I actually impressed myself with the swirls - and yes, I do have a small measuring tape just for baking purposes... 
Also brushed the top with the some of the eggwash so that it comes out shiny. Thanks Emilie - absolutely fantastic recipe. Love your website - keep up the good work :)

Oh my god!    Great recipe, and I made wonderful bread.  Your instructions were perfect, appreciate the video too.    My husband - who saw me making the bread - said you did not make this - you bought it at an upscale bakery!     Thank you.

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