Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread
Yields: 1 loaf
Our friend, Mary Thompson was kind enough to share one of her amazing GF recipes from her new cookbook, Gluten Free Sourdough Baking. This recipe allows you to indulge your cinnamon and raisin cravings in a celiac-friendly way.
Plumping the raisins by soaking them makes all the difference to the baked loaf.
Levain
30 g active starter
60 g warm water
30 g buckwheat flour
30 g brown rice flour
Loaf
70 g white rice flour
60 g tapioca starch
50 g sorghum flour
50 g oat flour
20 g buckwheat flour
7 g salt
190 g warm water
60 g warm milk
20 g honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
18 g whole psyllium husk
4 g flaxseed, finely ground
Raisins
50 g raisins
30 g warm water
Filling
30 g melted butter
60 g brown sugar, divided
3 g ground cinnamon, divided
Reactivate your starter the day before you plan on building the levain. A good time to do this is when you get up in the morning, to allow the starter 6 to 8 hours to become bubbly and active. You will need 30 grams for the levain and at least 20 grams for maintaining your original starter/main culture.
Build the levain: Using a kitchen scale, weigh 30 grams of active starter in a clean 500-milliliter jar. Vigorously mix in 60 grams of warm water, then add 30 grams of buckwheat flour and 30 grams of brown rice flour. Ferment the levain for 6 to 8 hours, or until it is bubbly and has risen to a peak, before mixing it into the dough.
Soak the raisins and mix the dough: In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the warm water for 1 to 2 hours prior to mixing the dough, then drain any remaining water. To begin preparing the loaf, combine the white rice flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, warm milk and honey. Beat in the egg and levain. Stir the psyllium husk and flaxseed into the mixture, and whisk the mixture immediately to prevent lumps from forming. Add the levain mixture to the flour blend. Mix the dough well by hand, or with a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook running at medium-low speed, until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Fold in the raisins.
Ferment: Form the dough into a ball, then place it in a 4-cup (1-L) proofing bowl. Cover the bowl with its lid and place it in the oven with the light on. Let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the dough begins to rise a little. Place the covered bowl in the fridge overnight for the bulk fermentation.
Shape: The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until it is warm enough to work with. Line a 9 x 5–inch (23 x 13–cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly dampen a work surface with water. Transfer the dough to the prepared work surface. Knead the dough with wet hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is somewhat smooth. Roll out the dough into a 9 x 7–inch (23 x 18–cm) rectangle. To prepare the filling, brush the melted butter over the dough’s surface. Sprinkle two-thirds of the brown sugar and two-thirds of the cinnamon on top of the butter. Pick up one of the short sides of the dough and fold it a quarter of the way over the rest of the dough. Spread half of the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon on the top of the fold. Fold the dough over again and spread the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon on the top. Roll the dough to the end and shape it to fit the loaf pan. This will create a swirled effect. This is a wet, sticky dough that will tear easily, but because it will be baked in a loaf pan, you can easily pinch and seal any holes. Poke the raisins that are sticking out of the dough back in to prevent them from burning. Smooth the dough over the holes created by the raisins.
Proof: Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest at room temperature—ideally about 72°F (22°C)—for 2 to 3 hours. The proofing time depends on the temperature of your kitchen. If the temperature is a little colder, place the dough in the oven with the light on. In the summer warmth, it can be left on the counter, and it may benefit from less proofing time. When the dough has proofed enough, it will have risen and will feel soft, puffy and spongy on top.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Bake the loaf for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 375°F (191°C) and bake the loaf for 25 to 30 minutes, until it feels firm on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool for 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan and slice it.
Wrap the bread in a tea towel or beeswax wraps and store it on the counter for up to 2 days. This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.