At a Glance
A soft, slightly sweet Weizenbrot featuring a laminated cinnamon swirl. Technique borrows laminated swirl and cold retardation to concentrate aroma and preserve shape during proofing; autolyse and controlled hydration produce an open, tender crumb while limiting tunneling.[1][2][4]
Not suitable if:
- • You are new to sourdough laminating → start with a basic loaf first
- • You don't have an active starter → create a starter
🛒 Recommended Products
We recommend the following tools for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Scale
Essential for accurate flour and water measurements
Banneton Proofing Basket
Shapes the loaf and supports the laminated swirl
Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Pot
Creates steam for oven spring and crisp crust
Dough Scraper/Bench Knife
Useful for laminating and handling sticky high-hydration dough
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Ingredients
Weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale. Use the cinnamon paste thinly so the swirl laminates cleanly and doesn't leak during proofing.[1][2][5]
| Ingredient | Amount | % | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread flour (or 550/Type 550 wheat) | 500g | 100% | Protein 11–12% for a tender crumb |
| Water | 375g | 75% | 75% hydration – manageable for laminating and prevents dense crumb[2] |
| Active wheat starter (100% hydration) | 100g | 20% | RiPe (4–6 hours after feeding) for best oven spring[2][6] |
| Salt | 10g | 2% | Adjust to taste |
| Unsalted butter | 30g | 6% | Softened, used in lamination to seal the cinnamon paste[5][8] |
| Brown sugar | 40g | 8% | Sweetens the swirl and feeds yeast slightly |
| Ground cinnamon | 8g | 1.6% | For cinnamon paste |
Schedule
Weekend Version
Daytime mixing and shaping, cold retard before bake
Weekday Version
Prepare at night, bake next evening
💡 Tips
- If bulk fermentation is faster than planned, move dough to the fridge to slow activity and protect lamination[1][7].
- Shaped loaves can be proofed up to 48 hours in the fridge; longer retards deepen cinnamon aroma but reduce immediate oven spring slightly[1][4].
Step by Step
Autolyse
Combine flour and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains and rest 30–45 minutes. Autolyse improves gluten development and handling for lamination.[2][7]
⏱ 30-45 minutes
Add starter and salt; begin bulk
Add active starter and salt. Mix with a dough scraper until incorporated. Perform 3 sets of coil folds or stretch-and-folds over the first 90 minutes to build strength.[2][5]
⏱ 15 minutes initial work, then 1.5–3 hours bulk with folds
Prepare cinnamon paste
Warm butter slightly and mix with brown sugar and ground cinnamon to a spreadable paste. Keep paste thin so it laminates without tearing dough. A little butter also seals the paste during proofing.[1][5]
⏱ 5 minutes
Laminate the swirl
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or stretch to a rectangle ~30x25cm. Spread cinnamon paste thinly leaving a 1cm border. Roll tightly (jelly-roll) with seam sealed using a bit of water or butter. For multiple layers, fold and roll again for tighter swirl as in laminated techniques.[1][4]
⏱ 10-15 minutes
Shape and chill
Shape the roll into a batard or round. Place seam-side up into a floured banneton or lined bowl. Refrigerate for long final proof (12–16 hours) to develop flavor and firm the butter so the cinnamon stays in place.[1][5]
⏱ 12-16 hours (cold retard) or 1.5–2 hours at room temp
Bake
Preheat oven and a Dutch oven or cast iron pot to 250°C/480°F for 30–45 minutes. Turn loaf onto parchment paper, score with a bread lame or sharp blade to control expansion, and place in the preheated vessel. Bake covered 15–20 minutes to trap steam, then uncover and reduce to 200°C/400°F for 25–30 minutes until crust is golden and internal temp reaches 96–98°C / 205–208°F (use an instant-read thermometer).[1][4][6]
⏱ 45-55 minutes total
Cool
Remove from oven, transfer with oven mitts to a rack and cool at least 2 hours. Cooling completes starch gelatinization and prevents gummy crumb—never slice while warm.[4][6]
⏱ 2+ hours
Tips & Variations
Variations
Raisin and cinnamon
Soak 80g raisins in warm water 15 min, drain and fold in during lamination
→ Adds moisture and sweetness; watch for extra fermentation activity[3]
Honey-sweetened
Replace 20g brown sugar with 20g honey in paste
→ Softer crumb and deeper crust caramelization
Streusel top
Add a streusel of butter, flour, and sugar before final bake
→ Crumbly sweet topping; may reduce steam effect on top crust[4]
Pro Tips
- 💡 Use a kitchen scale for all ingredients—small differences change hydration and lamination success.[2]
- 💡 If cinnamon paste leaks during proofing, chill longer so butter firms and prevents runout[1][5].
- 💡 Keep hydration around 72–76% for an open crumb without excess slack that tears during lamination[2][7].
Common Issues
Common issues and fixes:
Storage
Counter (bread bag/bread box)
3-4 days
Store in a paper bag inside a bread box to retain crust while avoiding sogginess
Cloth-wrapped
2-3 days
Wrap in linen to slow moisture loss
Freezing
1 month
Slice before freezing; toast or warm frozen slices directly
⚠️ Avoid refrigeration — it accelerates starch retrogradation and staling[4][6]
Sources
-
[1]
Dirndlkitchen / The Perfect Loaf-style – Cinnamon Sourdough Bread – Link
-
[2]
Baked Collective / King Arthur Baking-style – Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread – Link
-
[3]
Allrecipes / The Clever Carrot-style – Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread – Link
-
[4]
Florian Noeding / Little Spoon Farm-style – Sourdough Cinnamon Crumb Bread – Link
-
[5]
Farmhouse on Boone / The Clever Carrot-style – Overnight Cinnamon Sourdough Bread – Link
-
[6]
Amy Bakes Bread / My German Table-style – Artisan Cinnamon Sourdough Loaf – Link
-
[7]
The Bread Code / Vanilla Bean Blog-style – Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread – Link
-
[8]
Plötzblog / Brot & Bread-style – Sauerteig Weizenbrot mit Zimt – Link