No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
This is a rustic, no-knead, cinnamon raisin bread recipe. It makes one large loaf of an artisan style bread with a crispy exterior and well-structured interior perfect for breakfast. Final bread can be sliced and freezes well, pull out one piece a day and toast it for breakfast!
Equipment
- 4 Liter food container (or bowl)
- Cover for container (or plastic wrap)
- Digital Metric Scale
- Banneton (or other proofing dish)
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
No-Knead Dough
- 200 grams Whole Wheat Flour 1 ⅓ cups
- 300 grams White Bread Flour 14% protein just shy of 2 cups
- 440 grams Warm Water 90-100 F degrees 1 ¾ cups
- 11 grams Sea Salt 2 tsp
- 1.2 grams Instant Yeast generous 1/4 teaspoon or scant 1/2 teaspoon
- 60 grams Raisins mounded ½ cup
Filling
- 24 grams Cinnamon 3 T
- 15 grams Powdered Sugar 2 T
Instructions
SCALING
- Measure all ingredients using a digital metric scale.
MIXING
- Mix together whole wheat and white flour until thoroughly mixed.
- Add warm water (90-100 F degrees).
- Mix together until no dry flour remains and you have a rough dough.
- Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flour to autolyze (absorb the moisture).
- After 30 minutes, uncover the dough and sprinkle the top evenly with the sea salt and the yeast.
- Pull outside edge of dough and fold over center, do this 4-6 times until yeast and salt are enclosed.
- Using two fingers (like you are making the "OK" symbol) cut through the dough 3 times.
- Pull outside edge of dough up, it will not stretch much at this point, and fold over center again, 4-6 times.
- Repeat the last two steps two more times until the salt and yeast are evenly distributed.
- Turn the dough over so the last folds you made are tucked under a loose ball. This dough will need to be folded five times over the next 2-2.5 hours.
- Cover the dough and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the dough and sprinkled the raisins over the slackened dough.
- Pull outside edges of dough and fold over center, do this 6-8 times until raisins are enclosed.Hint: Every time you fold this dough it will gain elasticity, strength and rise. Pull the dough up and over to achieve maximum stretch without tearing it, this builds the structure to hold the developing carbon dioxide gas.
- Turn the dough over so the last folds you made are tucked under a loose ball.
- Wait 30 minutes and perform the last two steps again. You will do this three more times for a total of five folds.
- Hint: These folds can be done every 30 minutes or longer, however, leave dough alone the last hour of the Bulk Fermentation stage before moving on to the Punching/Folding and Dividing stages (see below).
BULK FERMENTATION (first rise)
- After five folds, allow dough to rest until doubled in size, 4-6 hours depending on the temperature where the dough rests. Hint: Using a clear container allows you to easily see when the dough has risen to double its original size. Mark the outside of the container with a marker or elastic at the desired point.
- Meanwhile, measure and mix together the cinnamon and powdered sugar, cover and set aside.
FOLDING
- When dough has doubled in size (visually check that it is lofty, with good structure, raisins evenly distributed, with bubbles on top and inside).
- Flour a work surface and gently dump dough out.
DIVIDING
- No need to divide this dough any further as this recipe makes one round loaf.
- With fingertips, gently flatten the dough into a 30 cm x 20 cm (12" x 8") rectangle.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon and powdered sugar mix over the dough evenly leaving about a 2 cm gap at the top.
PRESHAPING/ROUNDING
- Beginning closest to you, roll the dough away from you forming a log or cylinder shape.
- Flip dough over so folds are tucked underneath.
BENCH REST
- Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the banneton (if using) with 1-2 Tablespoons of flour. Hint: If you do not have a banneton (which are costly and not required), simply use a colander or other bowl lined with a very generously floured, clean, linen kitchen towel.
MAKEUP AND PANNING
- Uncover the log, turn sideways so short side is parallel to you.
- Roll dough log away from you to form a snail-like shape.
- Drag the snail shape along the counter towards you to tighten into a ball. Turn a quarter turn, drag toward you again. Repeat until you have a round ball.Hint: You will need a little friction to drag the dough ball to tighten it into a round. If there is no friction, clear the work surface of the majority of flour and try again.
- Once you have a tight dough ball, flour the top of the dough ball. Pick it up by gently by sliding cupped hands under either side of the ball.
- Gently lay the ball into the banneton. Cover the banneton with plastic wrap, a plastic bag, or a linen towel.
PROOFING (second rise)
- Set the banneton in a warm place to proof. Allow the dough ball to rise until it has relaxed and doubled in size. This may take 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the room temperature.
BAKING
- Approximately 45 minutes prior to the second rise being complete, place your Dutch oven onto the middle rack of your oven. Set oven temp to 475 F degrees. Set timer for 45 minutes.
- When timer buzzes, check if your dough has doubled and is ready to be baked.Hint: To check if your dough has risen enough, you can perform the poke test. Poke the dough with a floured finger. If the indent springs back quickly, it is not yet ready to be baked. Allow it to continue to rise. If the indent springs back slowly, it is ready to be baked. If the indent does not spring back at all, it is over-proofed.
- Pull preheated Dutch oven from the oven and place on a heat resistant surface. Caution! It will be very hot. Remove and set the lid aside.Hint: Leave your oven mitt over the lid so you do not accidentally grab it with bear hands when picking up the lid again. Yes! This is experience talking. ;-)
- Uncover the dough. Reach your fingers under the formed dough to gently loosen its grip on the Banneton or dish towel. Slightly tip the banneton sideways allowing the dough ball to gently flip upside down into the preheated pan (resulting in the previously folded side facing up). Cover the pan with the lid and return to the oven.
- Bake at 475 F degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven. Bake at 475 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes.Hint: The darker the outside caramelization is on the crust, the more flavor your bread will have. I personally like to bake it to a very rich dark brown.
COOLING
- Remove the Dutch oven and set on a heat proof surface.
- Immediately remove the bread from the Dutch oven after baking has finished. Set bread on a cooling rack to allow air flow around the bread. Listen to the symphony of crackling as the crust begins to cool. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes, before slicing.Hint: I know it's hard to wait for that yummy first piece! However, the crumb needs time to cool so it does not get crushed when you try to cut the bread.
STORING
- If you do not use this bread immediately, it can be stored in the open air for 8 hours, or even overnight, as long as it is not cut.
- Once the bread has been cut, allow it to cool completely. Store cut side down on a cutting board for up to one day.
- After that time, slice the remaining bread, place slices in an airtight bag, and freeze the slices. Warm each slice in a toaster before eating.
