Cinnamon Vanilla Prune Sourdough: The Boule Bottom Blaster
A high fiber sourdough bread loaded with prunes, vanilla, and cinnamon. This functional and delicious loaf combines digestive health benefits with incredible flavor. Perfect for when you’ve been glutened and need a little assistance!
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 135kcal
Equipment
- two 10x5 inch metal bread pans can use a 9x5 but baking timing maybe different
- a banneton or bowl with tea towel
- kitchen scale
- Instant read thermometer
- Parchment paper
- a lame or sharp knife.
Ingredients
- 520 g bread flour
- 200 g prune juice room temperature
- 150 g filtered water room temperature
- 80 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 10 g fine sea salt
For the Mix-Ins:
- 120 g pitted prunes chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Day 1:
- Prep the prunes: Chop prunes into small pieces. Mix with vanilla extract and cinnamon until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Start the dough: Mix flour, prune juice, starter and water, and salt in a large bowl until just combined. No dry flour should remain. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Day 1: Bulk Fermentation
- First set of folds: Immediately perform your first set of coil folds or stretch and folds. The dough will be stickier, this is normal with the prune juice.
- Bulk fermentation schedule (Total: 4 to 6 hours at 70-73°F):
- 30 minutes: Second set of folds
- 30 minutes: Third set of folds
- 30 minutes: Fourth set of folds. ADD PRUNES (fold them in gently)
- 45 minutes: Fifth and final set of folds
- Rest undisturbed
- Bulk fermentation signs: Look for 50 to 70% size increase and dough easily pulling away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should pass the poke test: when gently poked with a floured finger, it should spring back slowly but leave a slight indentation.
- Note on size increase: If your dough started at 4 inches tall, 50% increase means it’s now 6 inches tall, and 70% means 6.8 inches. Under-proofed dough (less than 50%) will be dense and tight, while over-proofed dough (more than 80%) may collapse and lose structure. The sweet spot of 50 to 70% gives you the best balance of rise and structure.
- Day 1: Pre-shape and Bench Rest
- Pre-shape: Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Pre-shape into a loose round and let rest 20 to 30 minutes.
- Final shape: Shape into a tight boule, creating good surface tension. The prunes might make this a bit trickier, but work slowly and confidently.
- Into the banneton: Place seam-side up in a banneton or bowl lined with a well floured tea towel.
- Day 1-2: Cold Fermentation
- Cold ferment: Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Day 2: Bake Day
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C)
- Prepare for baking: Turn dough onto parchment paper. Place your loaf with the parchment paper into the bread pan. Cover with the second bread pan placed upside down to create a lid. The pans I used
- Initial bake:
- Bake covered for 8 minutes at 450°F
- Score the dough:
- Remove from oven and carefully lift off the top pan (use oven mitts!)
- Score the dough with a sharp blade. What I use to score A simple line down the center works well since prunes can make intricate scoring challenging
- Replace the top pan lid
- Continue covered baking:
- Bake covered for an additional 20 minutes at 450°F
- Final uncovered bake:
- Remove the top pan lid
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205°F (96°C) Instant read thermometer
- Watch carefully. Prune sugars may brown faster than regular bread
- Cool: Remove from bread pan and cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
Hydration: This dough is 67% hydration. The prune juice makes it stickier than typical sourdough, so keep hands wet during folding and use flour during shaping.
No Autolyse: This recipe intentionally skips the autolyse step because prune juice is acidic and can break down gluten structure too early.
Bulk Fermentation Size Increase: If your dough starts at 4 inches tall, 50% rise = 6 inches, 70% rise = 6.8 inches. Under 50% will result in a dense loaf. Over 80% risks collapsed structure.
Double Bread Pan Method: Using two bread pans instead of a Dutch oven makes it easier to monitor browning, which is important since prune sugars darken the crust faster.
Storage: Store cut side down at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. This bread stays moister longer than regular sourdough. For longer storage, slice and freeze.
Prune Distribution: Don’t stress if prunes aren’t perfectly even. Some clustering is normal and creates nice pockets of flavor.
Make Ahead: The cold ferment can go from 12 to 48 hours. Longer fermentation develops more complex flavor.
