Mastering Cinnamon Sourdough: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Mastering cinnamon sourdough can be a rewarding experience for any home baker. This guide will take you through each step, ensuring you create a loaf that is both delicious and impressive.

Gather Your Ingredients

Before you start, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. You will need:

• Sourdough starter
• Flour
• Water
• Salt
• Cinnamon chips
• Sugar

Having everything ready will make the process smoother.

dough forms. Let this mixture rest for about 30 minutes.

Adding Cinnamon and Sugar

After the initial rest, sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and sugar. Start kneading the dough to incorporate these ingredients. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. This process can take around 10 minutes.

. This can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

During fermentation, stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes. This helps develop the gluten and distribute the cinnamon chips evenly.

Shaping the Dough

Once the dough has fermented, it's time to shape it. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval loaf. Be gentle to avoid deflating the dough.

Place the shaped dough into a proofing basket or a bowl lined with a cloth. We use parchment since it gets sticky in the your Dutch oven. Can cause a mess. Cover it and let it proof for another 2 to 4 hours. The dough should rise and become puffy.

Baking

Preheat your oven to 500F (250°C). If you have a baking stone or steel place it in the oven to heat up. Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the dough with a razor blade. Best to score in a half moon shape. Try to avoid the chips. 

Place the dough in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 475F (225C) and bake for another 20-25 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Once cooled, slice and enjoy your homemade cinnamon sourdough. It's perfect with cinnamon butter or as a sweet treat on its own.

With practice, mastering cinnamon sourdough will become second nature. Enjoy the process and the delicious results!