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Artisan Loaves · intermediate

Walnut Raisin Loaf

Key takeaway

Walnut raisin gluten-free sourdough stays lean when raisins are soaked and drained, walnuts are toasted, hydration stays 100%, and the loaf cools two hours before slicing.

A lightly cinnamon-scented country loaf with toasted walnuts and raisins soaked so they do not steal dough water.

By Andrew Kittridge500g flour (35% sorghum / 30% brown rice / 15% millet / 20% tapioca). Whole psyllium husk 6% (30g) mixed dry. Salt 2% (10g). Starter 20% (100g). Water 100% (500g). Raisins 80g drained; walnuts 70g toasted. Optional 10g maple and 2g cinnamon.
walnut raisinbreakfast loaffruit and nutsorghumgluten free sourdoughgluten freedairy freeegg freevegan
Gluten-free walnut raisin sourdough loaf sliced to show nuts and raisins in the crumb

Prep

40m

Fruit soak + dough rest

10-minute raisin soak, 15-minute dough rest

Bake

55m

Servings

12

Difficulty

intermediate

The short answer

Walnut raisin bread is the loaf we want with coffee on a slow Indianapolis morning. The dough is sorghum, brown rice, millet, and tapioca — a slightly sweeter grain mix that can stand next to fruit without tasting like cake. Whole psyllium husk at 6 percent is mixed dry. Salt is 2 percent so the loaf does not read as dessert. Hydration is 100 percent. Raisins are soaked in hot water, then drained thoroughly; that soak water is discarded so it does not blow past our hydration target. Walnuts are toasted until the skins smell like toasted walnut oil, then cooled and chopped. A half teaspoon of cinnamon is optional and stays in the background. Starter is 20 percent brown rice at 100 percent hydration. No dairy, no eggs, no honey required — maple is optional if you want a hint of sweetness. Dutch-oven bake at 500F, lid on then off, watching the raisins on the crust so they do not char. Cool at least two hours. The crumb should be studded, not streaked with raisin syrup, and the walnuts should stay crunchy rather than steaming into softness.

For the method behind gluten-free structure, read the gluten-free sourdough guide and keep a lively culture with the starter guide.

Why it works

  • Drained fruit keeps hydration at 100% instead of turning the gel sticky-sweet.
  • Toasted walnuts add fat and crunch without butter.
  • Millet’s corn-sweetness supports fruit better than a 100% rice loaf.
  • Psyllium at 6% suspends heavy inclusions so they do not all sink.

Ingredients

  • 175g (1 1/2 cups minus 1 Tbsp)sorghum flour
  • 150g (1 cup minus 1 Tbsp)brown rice flour
  • 75g (2/3 cup)millet flour
  • 100g (3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp)tapioca starch
  • 30g (6 Tbsp)whole psyllium husk6% of flour weight
  • 10g (1 3/4 tsp)fine sea salt2% of flour weight
  • 2g (1/2 tsp)ground cinnamonoptional
  • 100g (1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp)active brown-rice starter (100% hydration)20% of flour
  • 500g (2 cups plus 2 Tbsp)lukewarm water (80F)100% hydration
  • 80g (1/2 cup)raisinssoaked in hot water, then drained; soak water discarded
  • 70g (2/3 cup chopped)walnut halvestoasted and cooled
  • 10g (1/2 Tbsp)maple syrupoptional; keep vegan

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Stiff spatula
  • Banneton or towel-lined bowl
  • Parchment paper sling
  • 5–6 quart Dutch oven with lid
  • Bread lame or sharp knife
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Sieve
  • Dry skillet

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cover raisins with hot water for 10 minutes until plump, then drain in a sieve and pat dry. Discard the soak water. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, 4–5 minutes, cool, and chop to raisin size. Hot nuts and wet raisins both wreck hydration.

    20 minutes

  2. 2

    Whisk sorghum, brown rice, millet, tapioca, whole psyllium husk, salt, and cinnamon. The bowl should smell faintly cereal and spice, not like a cookie mix.

    3 minutes

  3. 3

    Stir starter into the 500g water; whisk in maple if using. Pour over the flours and beat to a thick batter. Fold in drained raisins and cooled walnuts until evenly studded.

    5 minutes

  4. 4

    Rest 15 minutes. The dough should mound and smell like warm cereal, walnut, and a little fruit. If raisin syrup pools, you did not dry them; fold again.

    15 minutes

  5. 5

    Shape a round with wet hands. Tuck any raisins on the very top slightly under the surface so they are less likely to burn. Place in a floured banneton.

    5 minutes

  6. 6

    Proof at 75–78F until risen about 50 percent, smelling lactic and raisin-sweet. A poke fills slowly. Fruit can hide overproofing; if the loaf slumps, it went too far — bake it as a flatter boule.

    4 hours

  7. 7

    Preheat Dutch oven at 500F for 45 minutes. Invert onto parchment. Cover any exposed raisins that sit on a peak with a scrap of dough or accept a darker spot.

    45 minutes

  8. 8

    Score a shallow slash away from raisin clusters. A deep cut through fruit bleeds sugar and burns.

    2 minutes

  9. 9

    Bake covered 40 minutes, lid-off 12–15 minutes until deep gold, walnuts toasted, center 208–210F. If raisins blacken, tent with foil. It should smell like toasted walnuts and caramelized fruit, not smoke.

    55 minutes

  10. 10

    Cool at least 2 hours. Slice with a serrated knife. The crumb should be tan and even, with distinct raisins and walnut pieces, not purple streaks of syrup.

    2 hours

Nutrition

Approximate values per serving. Always verify labels if you bake for celiac safety.

Nutrition facts per serving
NutrientAmount
Calories214 kcal
Protein4 g
Carbs40 g
Fat5 g
Fiber4 g
Sodium325 mg

Substitutions

Walnuts (70g)
70g toasted pecans, or omit for a fruit-only loaf.
Raisins (80g)
80g dried cranberries, soaked and drained.
Maple syrup (optional)
Omit, or 10g unsulphured molasses for a darker, less breakfasty loaf.

Storage

Towel-wrap 2–3 days. Freeze slices 2 months. Toast from frozen; walnuts taste fresher after a brief toast.

Notes

  • Discard raisin soak water. It is extra sugar-water, not part of the 500g hydration.
  • Toast walnuts. Raw walnuts can taste bitter and paint-like in a long ferment.
  • Maple is optional. The loaf is not a sweet bread even with it.
  • Cinnamon is a background note. More than 1/2 tsp starts to taste like a cinnamon swirl without the swirl.
  • Cool fully or raisins smear purple across the crumb.

FAQ

Should I soak raisins before adding them to gluten-free sourdough?

Yes, then drain and dry them. Dry raisins steal dough water and leave tunnels. Wet, unrinsed soak water adds sugar and hydration you did not plan for. Discard the soak.

Can I use other dried fruit instead of raisins?

Chopped dried cranberries or chopped dates, same 80g, soaked and drained. Avoid candied fruit with wheat starch coatings.

Are walnuts gluten-free?

Plain walnuts are. Buy them from a source that does not season them with malt vinegar or process them on cookie lines. Toast plain halves.

Why did my raisins burn on the crust?

They sat on a peak in a 500F lid-off bake. Tuck them under the surface, or tent with foil once the loaf is colored.

Can I make this loaf without nuts?

Yes. Skip walnuts and add 20g extra raisins, or fold in 50g toasted pumpkin seeds from the seeded boule logic.

Technique

Keep the method close

Psyllium, fermentation temperature, and a celiac-safe starter matter as much as the formula.

Sourdough guideStarter guide

About Andrew Kittridge

Home baker in Indianapolis documenting gluten-free sourdough: psyllium structure, whole-grain blends, and loaves that actually taste like bread.

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