This delicious bread requires very little hands-on time! Throw it all in a mixer in the morning, then don’t touch it again for a few hours when it’s time to roll up the cinnamon filling. By late afternoon, you have a delicious loaf of fresh-baked bread. This easy sourdough cinnamon swirl bread is sure to be a favorite for morning toast or an afternoon snack!
Cinnamon swirl bread is a must-try for any sourdough baker. It is not as sugary and decadent as cinnamon rolls but still feels special and slightly sweet with breakfast in the morning. I like to make it with partly fresh-milled whole grain flour. You can adjust the amount of white or whole wheat that you like. Try half or more whole grain for a healthier version of this recipe.
I love to make this cinnamon swirl bread, slice it, and keep it in the freezer so that my family can grab a slice and pop it in the toaster in the morning when they are making their own breakfast.
Fresh, homemade breads (especially those with fresh-milled flour like this one) don’t keep as long as store-bought bread and tend to dry out a lot faster. Freezing slices ensures that it is nice and fresh, and I don’t have to bake as frequently. This recipe only makes one loaf, so double it if you have a bigger family or want to save time and bake more at once.
Naturally Fermented Dough
Sourdough is an ancient way of making bread that uses a natural fermentation process. In the Bible, it talks about leaven – just a bit of this active, “alive” starter is all it takes for a new batch of dough to ferment and get bubbly and fluffy. This fermentation process also helps break down phytic acid and gluten in the grains, which aids in digestion. The blend of active bacteria and yeast gives a complex flavor that many people love.
Because this is a naturally leavened dough, it takes some time to proof (rise) and develop, more than a yeast bread. It takes a little patience, but I find that I love the longer timeline as a busy mother, because I can do just a little here and there through the day in the midst of other daily tasks and homeschooling.
Baking by Weight
Do you bake by weight yet? I’m fully converted now, and I rarely ever reach for the measuring cups anymore. I love using a simple scale to weigh each ingredient into my bowl. My baked goods turn out much more consistently, and I have significantly fewer dirty dishes. Less dishes is always a win!
As someone who uses a lot of fresh-milled flour, it works way better to measure by weight than by cups. The fresh-milled flour is far less dense than all-purpose flour, so 1 cup of each is going to be a very different amount. So, if you haven’t tried it yet, grab a $10 kitchen scale and give it a go! If you’re like me, you won’t go back.
Can I Use Discard for Cinnamon Swirl Bread?
This recipe is pretty easy as far as the starter. It calls for an “active starter” that has been fed in the last 6-12 hours. I feed mine the night before baking. In the morning, it is nice and bubbly and ready to prep loaves.
That being said, I have also used starter that has already fallen recently, as well as discard that is fairly fresh in the fridge (within a couple days of storing). They have all worked great with this recipe!
If you keep an active starter and feed it frequently, I find that the discard remains quite active and can be used nearly like active starter, with allowing maybe a tad more time during the bulk ferment (rising) time.
Tools You May Need:
Kitchen Aid Mixer with dough hook attachment
Ingredients You Will Need:
400g bread flour
100g whole wheat flour (I used fresh-milled spelt)
100g active starter
300g filtered water
40g maple syrup or honey
32g avocado oil
8g salt
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp sucanat (you can also use raw sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar)
2 tbsp butter, melted
Steps to make Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dough ingredients:
400 grams bread flour, 100 grams whole wheat flour, 300g filtered water, 100g active starter, 40 grams maple syrup, 32 grams avocado oil, and 10 grams salt.
Set the bowl in the stand mixer and fit with the dough hook.
On medium-low speed, mix the dough for 10 minutes until the sides of the bowl start to come clean and all the dough stays together in a large mass. If needed, pause a couple of times to push the dough down the hook so it all develops evenly.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can hand-knead this dough on a smooth surface for about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl. Let rest for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, perform 2 sets of stretch and folds on the dough. THIS VIDEO is a good explanation of how to do that (He is showing one “set”).
Bulk Fermentation
Next, cover the bowl and let it bulk ferment (rise) for 4 hours, until doubled in size.
How to Prepare the Cinnamon Filling:
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter.
In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp cinnamon with 3 tbsp sucanat, and have your 1/2 cup raisins ready nearby.
How to Roll out and Fill the Dough:
Lightly flour a smooth counter or worksurface on which you can roll out the dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 8″ by 18″ rectangle. If needed, flip it once or twice to make sure that it is evenly floured and won’t stick to the work surface.
Next, brush the rectangle of dough with the melted butter, leaving 1″ on one short end without butter.
Sprinkle the cinnamon and sucanat mixture evenly across the rectangle of dough, again leaving that 1″ at one short end free of the mixture so that you can seal the loaf.
Finally, sprinkle the 1/2 cup of raisins evenly across the dough.
Beginning at one short end (the end that has the filling all the way to the edge), tightly roll the dough to form the cinnamon swirl. When you get to the 1″ at the end, use your finger and a bit of water to wet that strip of dough, then finish rolling to close the swirl and leave that seam on the underside of your loaf.
Gently place the loaf into a pan prepared with parchment paper and a bit of oil or butter. Place the loaf seam-side down in the pan.
Second Ferment:
Cover your loaf with a light cloth and let rise until it has reached about 1.5-2 times its original size, about 1.5 hours. It will rise even more in the oven.
Bake the Loaf:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Once it is heated, place the loaf in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 25-35 minutes, until the middle of the loaf reaches 200-205 degrees.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the bread pan. Let cool completely before slicing.
Pin for Later:
Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 400 grams bread flour (all-purpose flour works as well)
- 100 grams whole wheat flour (I used fresh-milled spelt)
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 300 grams filtered water
- 40 grams maple syrup or honey
- 32 grams avocado oil
- 10 grams salt
Cinnamon Filling
- 3 tbsp sucanat can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
How to Make the Dough:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dough ingredients: bread flour, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, filtered water, maple syrup, avocado oil, and salt
- Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix on medium-low speed for 10 minutes, pausing a couple of times to scrape the dough down from the hook. As it mixes, the dough should begin to come away from the sides of the bowl and stay together in a big mass.
- After 10 minutes, remove the hook, cover the bowl, and let rest for 45 minutes
- After 45 minutes, perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds. Then cover and allow to bulk ferment (rise) for 4 hours or until doubled in size.
Prepare the Cinnamon Filling:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
- In a small bowl, combine the sucanat and cinnamon. Have the 1/2 cup of raisins ready nearby
Roll Out and Fill the Dough:
- Lightly flour a smooth surface on which you can roll out the dough
- Scrape the dough out onto your surface, and using a rolling pin, roll it into an 8" by 18" rectangle. If necessary, flip the dough once or twice to make sure it is evenly floured and not sticking to the work surface
- Brush the dough evenly with the melted butter, leaving 1" at one short end of the dough with no butter
- Sprinkle the dough evenly with the cinnamon sugar filling, everywhere except for that 1" strip at one short end of the dough
- Sprinkle the raisins evenly over the same area.
- Beginning at one short end of the dough (the end will the filling right up to the edge), tightly roll the dough, carefully rolling the filling into the loaf.
- When you almost have it all rolled up, use a little clean water to wet the 1" strip of dough. Finish rolling and tuck the seam underneath the loaf.
- Place the rolled dough into a loaf pan that has been prepared with parchment paper and a little butter or oil.
- Cover with a light cloth and let rise for 1.5 hours, until 1.5-2 times its size.
Baking the Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Once the oven has preheated, place the loaf into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- After the loaf has baked for 15 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 375 and continue baking for 25-35 minutes, until a thermometer in the center of the loaf registers at 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes
- Remove the loaf from the pan and place on the wire rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- Enjoy!
