Description
Bake warm, tender Sourdough Apple Bread with sweet apples and a hint of cinnamon. This rustic loaf is perfect for fall mornings.
Ingredients
Scale
- Sourdough Base:
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 350g warm water (around 90-95°F / 32-35°C)
- 500g bread flour
- 10g fine sea salt
- Apple Filling:
- 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and diced (about 200g)
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Enrichments:
- 30g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 50ml whole milk
- 1 large egg
- Finishing Touch (Optional):
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Feed Your Starter & Autolyse the Flour: Okay, first things first, make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, fed about 4-6 hours before you plan to mix your dough. While it’s getting ready, grab a big bowl. Pour in your warm water, then add the bread flour. Mix it up until there are no dry spots – it’ll be shaggy, that’s fine! Cover it with a damp cloth and let it hang out for 30 minutes to an hour. This is the ‘autolyse,’ and it gives the flour a head start on absorbing water, making the dough easier to work with later. I used to skip this, but honestly, it makes such a difference in the final texture!
- Mix the Dough for Sourdough Apple Bread: Now for the main event! To your autolysed flour mixture, add your active sourdough starter and the fine sea salt. Squish it all together with your hands for about 5-7 minutes until it’s somewhat cohesive. It’ll be sticky, don’t worry! Cover it again and let it rest for 30 minutes. This rest is important, it helps the gluten relax. I remember trying to rush this once, and my arms were aching trying to knead a stiff, grumpy dough. Patience, friend!
- Incorporate the Apples and Enrichments: After the rest, gently fold in your diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the melted butter, whole milk, and egg. This step can feel a bit messy, like you’re trying to wrangle slippery apple chunks into a sticky cloud. Just keep folding and squishing until everything is pretty evenly distributed. Don’t overmix, though, or you’ll bruise those lovely apples. I often make a bit of a mess here, with apple bits trying to escape the bowl, but it’s all part of the fun, right?
- Bulk Fermentation with Folds: Cover your bowl and let it bulk ferment at room temperature (around 72-75°F or 22-24°C) for 3-4 hours. During this time, you’ll do 3-4 sets of ‘stretch and folds’ every 30-45 minutes. To do a stretch and fold, wet your hands slightly, grab a portion of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat 3-4 times. This builds strength in the dough. I used to forget a set, and the dough felt weaker, so try to be consistent!
- Shape Your Sourdough Apple Bread Loaf: Lightly flour your work surface. Gently turn the dough out onto it. You want to shape it into a round or oval loaf, building tension on the surface. Try not to incorporate too much flour, we want that sticky, supple texture. Once shaped, place it seam-side up into a lightly floured proofing basket (banneton). I usually give my banneton a good dusting of rice flour to prevent sticking – learned that the hard way after a few sticky disasters!
- Cold Proof and Bake Your Sourdough Apple Bread: Cover your proofing basket and pop it into the fridge for 8-12 hours (or even up to 24!). This cold proof really develops the flavor and makes the dough easier to handle. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with your Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven, invert your Sourdough Apple Bread into it, score the top, and bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown. It’ll smell heavenly, honestly!