Cinnamon Apple Sourdough (with Craisins and Pecans)

This cozy sourdough loaf is packed with cinnamon, fresh apples, sweet Craisins, and crunchy toasted pecans. A warm, flavorful bread perfect for fall mornings, holiday brunches, or anytime comfort baking.

Can I Add Fruit to Sourdough? 

I’ve only been baking sourdough for a couple of months and I’ve been on a roll with add-ins. I’ve used some of the more popular ones: jalapeño-cheddar, cinnamon sugar, and pepperoni-mozzarella, just to name a few. They’re all delicious! 

Today, however? I wanted something that had apples in it. I’ve actually been wanting to try this for some time now, but didn’t have any apples in the house until today. 

It took some serious research to figure out how and when to add them. I wanted to get it right. Should I wait until the shaping of the loaf? Should these things be added during the stretch and folds? I was clueless. I didn’t want to introduce too much moisture to the dough, after all. 

After a bit of research I decided to add the apples, craisins, and pecans after the 2nd stretch and fold. The dough was still pliable at this point but not overly soft. You can just as easily add these during the shaping of the loaf, should you choose. 

I’ll tell you more about how the loaf turned out later, but let’s look at what you’ll need to make this Cinnamon Apple bread first. 

Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. Of course, the most important item is your starter. Make sure it’s bubbly and active. (Test by floating on water to be sure it’s ready to go.) 

• 350 grams water (1 ½ cups)
• 100 grams active starter (½ cup)
• 1 teaspoon yeast (not pictured)
• 500 grams all-purpose flour (or bread flour) (4 cups, loosely scooped and leveled)
• 10 grams salt (1 ¾ teaspoons)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• ½ cup chopped pecans (toasted)
• ½ cup Craisins (soaked and dried)
• 1 cup finely chopped (peeled) apple

Disclaimer: This recipe was originally developed using weight measurements for accuracy. Flour can vary greatly depending on how it's scooped (packed vs. loose), and sourdough starter densities can differ. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale. Cup conversions are provided for convenience but may affect texture and hydration.

This is a one-day sourdough—from start to finish less than three hours. If you’re read my inclusions post, you already know that adding mix-ins to the dough is fun and exciting, if not a little bit nerve-wracking! 

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Sourdough 

This is a “fancy” bread, and certainly worth the effort. It does take more thought and finesse than most loaves, though, so pay close attention to the instructions and follow them as best you can. 

Make sure you start with an active starter.

In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, and starter. Whisk together. Add salt and flour, measuring carefully. 

Use a bread whisk to bring it together, then switch to your hand (or a bowl scraper), mixing well until fully incorporated. 

Cover with a tea towel and rest for thirty minutes. 

After thirty minutes do your first set of stretch and folds. To do stretch and folds, wet your hand and reach down to grab the dough. Pull up (s-t-r-e-t-c-h) and drop toward center. Pivot the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Keep going until you’ve stretched all the way around. 

After the first stretch and fold, cover and rest for 20 minutes. 

It’s time to prep your filling. 

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. 

If you have soaked the Craisins, now is the time to drain them and dry on a paper towel.

In separate bowls, coat the pecans, Craisins, and apples. 

Do your second set of stretch and folds. 

Afterwards, spread your dough on a lightly floured surface and stretch it out into a rectangle. 

Place about ¾ of the coated pecans, craisins, and apples across the rectangle. 

Lightly press down to adhere them to the dough. 

Fold over the right side like an envelope. Sprinkle the top with more of the add-ins. 

Fold over the left side. Sprinkle on the remaining add-ins. 

Now roll it up into a ball and place in the bowl. 

Cover and rest for twenty minutes. 

At the twenty-minute mark, do your third round of stretch and folds. 

Be gentle so that you don’t create a mess. (My third round of stretch and folds looked more like kneading because I didn’t want the apples to add too much moisture to the dough.) 

After the third stretch and fold, cover and rest for thirty minutes. 

Prep your banneton (rattan proofing basket) or bowl by lightly flouring or adding a tea towel. 

Now it’s time to shape the dough. 

Place on a lightly floured surface and spread out dough. 

Form a ball using whatever method works for you. I did the tuck and fold method, basically just pulling all sides to center into a ball. 

Flip it (seam side down) and pull the boule (ball) toward you, to create tension. Keep turning the ball and pulling it back and forth to create tension. 

Place seam-side up in the banneton. 

Cover and rest for an hour. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with the empty Dutch oven inside. 

After an hour of the dough resting, crinkle a sheet of parchment paper and place it over the banneton. Flip the dough out onto the paper. 

Score the top as best you can. (This isn’t as easy with a soft, wet dough.) 

Gently lift the paper with the dough and place it down into the hot dutch oven, being careful not to burn yourself. 

Drop 4 ice cubes Into the Dutch oven under the edges of the paper. 

Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove when a thermometer registers 200 - 210 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Lift bread (and paper) from the hot oven and place on a wire rack to cool. (You will notice the bread's crust is slightly darker from the usual sourdough breads we've baked together. That's because of the cinnamon.)

Allow to cool for at least an hour before cutting or the inside of your loaf will be gummy. 

Slice and serve! 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay good for 4-5 days. 

What to Expect

I've made a lot of sourdough recipes over the past few weeks and I have to say this is in my top five. I love the combination of sweet ingredients with the soft bread and the apples help up great! Next time I might skip the pecans. There was plenty to enjoy without them. But overall I'd say this one is a huge success. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to have a slice for breaking. (I might try to make some cinnamon butter to go on it. Yum!)

Variations to this Recipe

You can add to (or take away from) any of the add-ins in this loaf. I just happen to love all of the yummy things: apples, cinnamon, sugar, craisins, and pecans. Not a fan? No problem. Skip what you like and keep the rest. Other mix-ins could include any of the following: 

🍯 Sweet & Fruity Variations:

• Dried cherries – A sweet alternative to Craisins
• Chopped dried figs or dates – Adds caramel-like richness
• Fresh or dried pears – Subtly sweet and pairs well with cinnamon
• Orange or lemon zest – Brightens the flavor and complements apples

🥜 Nut & Seed Swaps:

• Walnuts – Classic pairing with apples and cinnamon
• Slivered almonds – Add mild crunch and a lighter nut flavor
• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds – A yummy crunch option

🥧 Bonus Idea:

• Streusel topping – If baking in a Pullman pan or loaf pan, a streusel on top makes it feel like cinnamon apple coffee cake in bread form! (Yum!) 

Other Sourdough loaves from Out of the Box Baking

If you like this sweet loaf, you might also enjoy the following: 

• Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough
• Honey Oat Sourdough
• Same Day Sourdough
• Irish Soda Bread

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.