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Sourdough by Eugene
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Raisin & Walnut Loaf

The Master Loaf folded with plump raisins and toasted walnuts. Perfect toasted with butter, and the best breakfast bread in the house.

Difficulty
Intermediate
Total time
~20 hours
Yield
1 loaf (~1.1 kg dough)
Hydration
71%

New recipe: I'm still fine-tuning the details. Bake it, and let me know how it goes.

Two sourdough loaves studded with raisins cooling on a wire rack.

Method

  1. 1

    MixRest 30 min

    Mix flour and water until no dry flour remains. Meanwhile soak the raisins in warm water and toast the walnuts.

  2. 2

    Add starterRest 30 min each

    Add the starter, mix; 30 minutes later add the salt and mix again.

  3. 3

    Laminate in the add-insRest 30 min

    Wet the counter, stretch the dough into a thin rectangle, scatter the drained raisins and walnuts over it and fold it back up into a ball.

  4. 4

    FoldEvery 30 min × 3

    Do three sets of gentle coil folds. Add-ins tear the gluten a little, so be gentle.

  5. 5

    Finish the bulkAs needed

    Look for about 50% rise and a bubbly, jiggly dough — 4 to 5 hours at 25°C.

  6. 6

    Shape and cold proof12 hours

    Shape into a tight oval, tucking any exposed raisins underneath (they burn on the crust). Into the banneton and the fridge.

  7. 7

    Bake~45 min

    Dutch oven at 250°C: 25 minutes lid on, then about 20 minutes at 220°C lid off.

  8. 8

    Cool1 hour+

    Cool on a rack before slicing.

Raisins bring sugar, so this loaf browns faster: bake the second half a little cooler than the Master Loaf.

Try swapping in dried figs, cranberries or hazelnuts — keep the total add-ins around 35–40% of the flour weight.

Didn't turn out the way you hoped?

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