This is absolutely my favorite sourdough discard recipe that I’ve done so far and it is BELOVED by my mother. I distinctly remember her asking for a loaf of this bread rather than a birthday cake for her birthday, both of which I ended up providing for her special day. This recipe is adored by my entire household and I usually eat it with a dash of peanut butter and honey in the morning although it’s so sweet that you may not need it. This base recipe is actually the same as another favorite, my sourdough discard dinner rolls!

Like most bread I bake, this freezes well as long as you freeze immediately after it is cooled. I usually defrost by leaving it out overnight but that’s more of a personal preference. I have tried to make this bread vegan before by substituting applesauce for the eggs. Unfortunately, it was a little laggy for me when I did it the first time so you may have to bake it for longer if you do decide to substitute applesauce for the eggs. I didn’t love the taste as much as the normal bread but it’s definitely still very tasty.

One of the biggest mistakes that I made the first time I made this bread was that I rolled it out the wrong way! After the first prove, you should roll it out into a 6″x20″ rectangle. This means that it is six inches wide at the base and twenty inches tall. Guess who thought it was the opposite! I ended up twisting it a little to get it into the pan because it was wayyyyy too long and ended up with something akin to povitica which was yummy but not the original intention. I hope that you enjoy making and eating it as much as my family does and good luck!

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Discard Recipe

For the Bread

• 113 grams sourdough discard (1/2 cup)
• 361 grams All Purpose flour (3 cups)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 71 grams unsalted butter, softened (5 tablespoons)
• 152 grams lukewarm water (2/3 cup)

For the Filling

• 60 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons All Purpose flour
• 37 grams raisins (1/4 cup)
• 37 grams chopped pecans (1/4 cup) (Can omit pecans if chosen, add 37 extra grams of raisins or 1/4 cup)
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (Meant to be a wash to get the bread to stick together once filling is added)

1. Combine all the dough ingredients and knead until a soft smooth dough forms. You may need to add additional flour, it shouldn’t be sticky once you’re done kneading.
2. Place in a greased container and let rise 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Watch it carefully on hotter days, mine will sometimes be done in an hour.
3. While dough is proving, make the filling. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, flour, raisins, and pecans in one bowl. Beat the egg with one tablespoon of water in another to a watery consistency. Put egg wash in the fridge if you won’t use it immediately after making it.
4. Deflate dough and place on a floured work surface. Roll dough into a 6″ by 20″ rectangle.
5. Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle evenly with filling. Leave a 1″ margin around all sides to make sealing easier.
6. Roll dough into a log lengthwise, from bottom to top. Pinch ends to seal and pinch long edge closed to seal.
7. Transfer to a greased loaf pan (mine is a 9″) and let rise for about an hour or until the dough has risen 1″ above the rim of the pan.
8. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 45 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil after the first 20 minutes in the oven. This is to make the internal temperature get up to 190F and this will take an hour or longer without the aluminum hat.
9. Remove loaf from pan once done and cool. After cooled, freeze or enjoy immediately! Keeps for about 3 days at room temperature.

Note: PLEASE wait for your bread to cool! If you let the heat out too early, it both won’t slice properly and will turn as hard as a rock. By letting the internal temperature cool, the loaf retains moisture for MUCH longer.