This Cinnamon Jujube Swirl Sourdough is my favorite recipe I’ve made as of yet. It is so fun to make AND so fun to eat! The swirl filling is like…gooey. It's perfectly sweet, and perfectly delicious. It is also 100% naturally-leavened, and 100% perfect as a sandwich loaf...
This bread is amazing toasted. The filling gets even gooier and all warm, like cinnamon roll filling. I bet French toast would be an amazing option as well. But I like to use this bread for sandwiches, PB&Js, literally anything. Whatever you might like with cinnamon swirl bread, you will like with this bread.
Cinnamon Jujube Swirl Sourdough: Recipe details
Jujube fruit, or red date, is one of my favorite things to eat each day. It is considered really healthy in the Traditional Chinese Medicine world (they help calm the mind!) and it’s super yummy and sweet! I usually soak a few in my herbal tea every day. These dates add a distinct, tender viscosity to the swirl filling in this recipe that can’t be replaced by anything else.
Though, you can replace the jujube fruit if you desperately have to. You could use Medjool dates or deglet dates if you can’t find any jujube fruit, but they should be in any Asian grocery store (the dried section, by the ginseng) or even online. And I would highly suggest trying jujube fruit if you haven’t had them before! You can even try one dried, just make sure you don’t eat the pit!
Dried jujube fruit sometimes come pitted. If yours are pitted, then you skip the step of having to pit, obviously. Just make sure you mash the fruit well!
For actually mixing the dough, I like to use my stand mixer with the dough hook on the lowest speed. It just makes things easier and more thorough than mixing by hand. I use the stand mixer for the three stages of mixing: the autolyze mixing, adding the levain/other ingredients, and adding the salt. But if you don't have a stand mixer, just make sure to squeeze the dough and mix thoroughly by hand without breaking the gluten strands.
The recipe through time:
- 10 pm - Make the levain and soak the fruit
- 8 am - Boil the jujube fruit
- 9 am - Make the dough for autolyze
- 10 am - Add the levain, brown sugar, and olive oil
- 12:30 am - Add the salt
- 1 pm - Stretch and fold #1
- 1:30 pm - Stretch and fold #2, and mix the swirl filling
- 2:30 pm - Shape and let proof
- 3:40 pm - Preheat the oven to 400F
- 4 pm - Bake for 40 minutes
If you make this recipe, please comment and rate the recipe below! I love hearing from you all. Also, you can tag me on Instagram @higheralchemybaking with your bake!
Cinnamon Jujube Swirl Sourdough
Equipment
- 9-inch Pullman loaf pan
Ingredients
for the levain
- 60g cold water
- 40g mature sourdough starter
- 80g bread flour
- 7g light brown sugar
for the soak
- 50g dried jujube fruit (red dates)
- 200g boiling water
for the dough
- 290g water
- 80g whole wheat flour
- 260g bread flour
- 35g rye flour
- all the levain
- 20g light brown sugar
- 10g olive oil
- 7g salt
for the swirl filling
- the soaked jujube fruit
- 50g light brown sugar
- 20g coconut oil
Instructions
- The night before, thoroughly combine the levain ingredients and lightly cover to let rise overnight. In a separate, small bowl, pour the boiling water over the dried jujube fruit and cover overnight.
- In the morning (after 10 hours), in a small saucepan, place the jujubes and their soaking water inside. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then set the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, covered.
- In the container you’ll be mixing your dough, drain and weigh the jujube water (minus the actual fruit) into it. Then add the rest of the water to be 290g total. The actual jujube fruit can be set aside for now.
- Add the flours into the dough container and mix until fully combined. Let autolyze for 1 hour.
- After autolyze, add all of the levain, brown sugar, and olive oil to the dough. Combine thoroughly and let sit for 2.5 hours.
- Then add the salt and mix until well-combined. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough, then let sit for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough again, then let sit for 1 hour. If your jujubes have pits, squeeze off the flesh and skin off of the pits and dispose of the pits. Mush all of your jujube flesh and skin in a small bowl with a spoon, then add the brown sugar and coconut oil for the swirl filling. Mix it all up until it’s a paste.
- After the hour rest, your dough should be puffy and more developed than when you started. Oil a 9-inch Pullman pan and set aside your workspace. Oil your workspace and gently dump the dough out onto it.
- Oil a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 9x12 inch rectangle, with the 9-inch side closest to you. Evenly spread the swirl filling onto the dough surface, then roll up the dough side closest to you, so you end up with a 9-inch long cylinder. You may have to use a bench scraper to help you roll. Place the cylinder seam-side down into the loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 1.5 hours, or until the dough is a ½ inch from the lid. 20 minutes before the rise time is up, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Bake the loaf covered for 20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Enjoy! This bread is delicious toasted. Let me know what you think below in the comments or on Instagram @higheralchemybaking!
Notes
Let me know what you think of my recipe in the comments below! And if you want another cinnamon recipe, check out my Vegan Sourdough Squash Cinnamon Buns!
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