Superb sourdough, Indonesian cinnamon, and a wealth of Red Flame Raisins
One of the most under-appreciated of all the amazing breads crafted at the Bakehouse is the Cinnamon Raisin! If you like great bread and you’re looking for something only slightly on the sweet side, try this one. The Cinnamon Raisin can easily slip off any bread shopper’s radar with the Pecan Raisin historically taking the headlines.
This is not the commonly available soft, fluffy cinnamon raisin bread that so many Americans have grown accustomed to. If you’re looking for something like that, hold off until the next Special Bake of our crazy good and much-loved Somodi Kalács. This Cinnamon Raisin, which the Bakehouse has been making for maybe 25 years now, is a bread that starts with substance, not sweetness. Hearty, chewy, naturally leavened sourdough with an 18-hour rise time, it is a loaf that will be appreciated by anyone who loves well-made artisan bread. You could say this is a bread that redefines the category.
The Bakehouse Cinnamon Raisin Bread is very lightly sweetened by Red Flame raisins, clover honey from Gearig Apiaries in Ithaca, Michigan, and spiced with a bit of Indonesian cinnamon. It makes a great French Toast for sure, but it’s also a really delicious bread to serve with dinner. The sweetness is subtle, so it’s a terrific accompaniment to pretty much any main course, much as you would use any of the other great breads from the Bakehouse. I’ve shifted my own frame from thinking of it as a “sweet bread for breakfast,” and more into the idea of it as being a baked-on-the-stone hearth, naturally leavened, sourdough that’s very subtly sweet, in the same way that the Roadhouse Bread is lightly sweetened with molasses. I recommend just ripping a piece off the loaf and eating it for a snack or to accompany a good salad. You can use it for bruschetta—it’s terrific toasted and topped with olive oil. Great topped with the Creamery’s cream cheese or fresh goat cheese. Really good for grilled cheese with fresh mozzarella, Comté, or aged cheddar. Eat it with the Rogue River or Bayley Hazen or other great blue cheeses. It’s terrific for a turkey sandwich and super tasty with chicken salad! It’d be wonderful, too, with the Finca Pascualete cheese!
One of the most under-appreciated of all the amazing breads crafted at the Bakehouse is the Cinnamon Raisin! If you like great bread and you’re looking for something only slightly on the sweet side, try this one. The Cinnamon Raisin can easily slip off any bread shopper’s radar with the Pecan Raisin historically taking the headlines.
