Cinnamon — a spice that didn’t find its way into much of the food from my childhood, but somehow as I’ve grown older, I find myself enjoying its sharp, but warm, flavor. It needs a counterweight, though, doesn’t it? Something to balance it, to take off that blunt edge, so the character is more of a warm, inviting thing rather than something that evokes a pucker or cockeyed stare at the baker. Enter: raisins. Not just any raisins, mind you, but homemade raisins.
As you know, I tend to take things a little farther, just one step beyond. But there’s additional satisfaction to be found in making or carefully sourcing every component of a loaf of bread. Whether you end up making your raisins or using store-bought, pairing them with cinnamon in a naturally leavened cinnamon raisin sourdough results in a loaf that not only looks stunning but tastes equally as much.
