I had to feed my starter again and was determined to make something a little different. Sourdough Orange-Cinnamon Ripple Bread is the result. It's similar to a cinnamon quick bread but full of yeasty taste and more like a slightly sweet bread than a cake. The ripple bread is easy to mix up in the morning and forget until the evening when it should be ready to go in the oven--no kneading required. Orange zest gives the bread extra tang, and cinnamon, sugar, and ground walnuts make the ripple and topping sweet but not overly so. The bread is great sliced and popped into the toaster for a warm breakfast or tea treat.
Sourdough Orange-Cinnamon Ripple Bread -- Makes 1 Loaf
Bread
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of canola oil
2-3 teaspoons of orange zest
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
Ripple/Topping
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of butter, softened
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of ground walnuts
In a large bowl, combine the starter, water, orange juice, and oil and mix them well. Stir in the orange zest and brown sugar until combined. Stir in both flours and the salt and beat a few minutes until everything is well combined. Set the mixture aside while you prepare the pan and ripple/topping. Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or line the pan with foil and spritz the foil with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, combine all the topping ingredients and mix them until everything is integrated and the mixture is crumbly. Pour half of the bread batter/dough in the pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle half of the ripple/topping mixture on top of the first layer of batter/dough. Pour on the remainder of the bread batter/dough and smooth it out as best as you are able. Sprinkle the remainder of the ripple/topping mixture on top of the bread batter/dough and press the ripple/topping mixture into the dough slightly. Spritz one side of a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and place the plastic wrap, sprayed side down, on top of the batter/dough. Let the batter/dough rise for 6-9 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen). The batter/dough should just crest the rim of your pan. When you're ready to bake the dough/batter, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the dough/batter for 35-40 minutes or until the interior of the bread registers 190 degrees with an instant-read thermometer. Let the bread cool before trying to cut it, if you'd like nice, even slices.
