Fruit and Grain Toasting Bread

This rustic-style sourdough loaf features a gentle balance of tanginess from the sourdough, plus sweetness from dried fruit. We like it for toast in particular, but slices of it also make super-tasty grilled cheese sandwiches, with the sweet fruit complementing just about any version of melted cheese there is.

Prep
25 mins
Bake
40 to 45 mins
Total
3 hrs 40 mins
Yield
1 loaf
Fruit and Grain Toasting Bread - select to zoom
Fruit and Grain Toasting Bread - select to zoom
Fruit and Grain Toasting Bread - select to zoom
Multigrain Raisin Sourdough - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix and knead together all the ingredients except the raisins — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth dough. Add the dried fruit and knead until evenly incorporated.

  2. Keeping the dough in the mixing bowl or bread machine bucket, allow it to rise, covered, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, gently deflate it, and form it into a smooth 13" log.

  4. Place the log into the bottom of a lightly greased long covered baker, cover the baker with its lid, and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy but not quite doubled in size.

  5. Just before putting the loaf into the oven, slash the top several times.

  6. Place the covered baker into a cold oven and set the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake the bread for 40 minutes, starting the timer when the bread goes into the oven.

  7. Remove the cover of the baker and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the bread is golden brown and its internal temperature measures 190°F on a digital thermometer.

  8. Remove the bread from the pan, and allow it to cool on a rack.

  9. Store bread at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our classic fresh sourdough starter — it’ll be ready for baking soon after it arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our sourdough baking guide.

  • If you don't have a long covered stoneware baker, form the dough into a round (boule) and bake it in a covered Dutch oven or bread baking crock following the same recipe instructions.
  • If your oven is slow to preheat, you may find it necessary to bake the bread for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, for a total of 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Want to substitute whole wheat flour for the Super 10 Blend? Use 1 1/2 cups (170g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour + 1/4 cup (57g) mixed seeds/flaked grains of your choice (e.g., barley flakes, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, red wheat flakes, etc.) in place of the Super 10 Blend called for.