Sourdough Fruit Loaf — A slice of island life
This sourdough fruit loaf has been a year in the making. Over the past 12 months, I’ve been experimenting—tweaking ingredients and techniques to get it just right. I wanted a loaf that was naturally sweet without relying on too much sugar, soft and dreamy on the inside, with a crust that sings when it comes out of the oven. The result? A bread our kids devour in less than a day, every single time. It’s wholesome, indulgent, and the closest thing to island comfort food I can share through a screen.
Sourdough Fruit Loaf - With a chewy crust, tender crumb, and pockets of fruity goodness—this loaf is comfort in every slice.
Ingredients:
300g water
100g active sourdough starter
A little more or less is ok and won’t affect the end result
500g bakers white flour
10g salt
40g extra virgin olive oil
50g milk of your choice (I use almond milk)
40g granulated organic coconut sugar
20g cinnamon powder
Experiment with other spices (e.g cloves or ginger)
120g organic raisins (or other dried fruit)
Instructions:
Using a scale, add water and then your active sourdough starter to the bowl (if the starter is bubbly & floats - you’re good to go)
Use a dough whisk to gently combine
Add all other ingredients and bring together into a rough dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl using a dough scraper
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and stand for 10 minutes before the first fold
Stretch and fold 3 - 4 times at your usual intervals
In the hot humid climate on the island, it’s about every 20 minutes
I wet my hands and my dough scraper first and typically stretch and fold in the air above the bowl, placing the dough carefully back in the bowl once I have reshaped it into a ball by tucking around the sides
Shape on the bench before resting in a tea towel-lined banneton. Pinch the edges of the dough together to increase crust tension. Fold the tea towel over the dough to ensure it doesn’t dry out while proving
Prove in the fridge overnight (or for 8-24 hours)
Preheat your crockpot in the oven to 250 degrees celsius
Turn out your dough (straight from the fridge) onto baking paper (or use a reusable silicone bread sling - I love it) and score. It’s tricky with raisins so I usually do 1 deep score
Bake in the crockpot with the lid on for 18 minutes and the lid off for18 minutes
Stand on a wire for at least 40 minutes before cutting as the final stage of baking is during its cool off time
Enjoy and if you have any leftovers, store in a bread tin on the bench for up to 2 days - I hope you love it!!!
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