Apple Pie Sourdough Bread
Apple pie and Sourdough bread are 2 of my favorite foods. So, why not combine them for a delicious artisan bread that is reminiscent of a warm slice of apple pie!
Throughout my sourdough journey, I have made a lot recipes. Lately, I have been interested in making more specialty sourdough breads.
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Recently, I made a walnut raisin sourdough bread that we really enjoyed Sourdough Raisin Walnut Bread Recipe
Building off of that recipe, I decided to make some other flavor combinations.
I recently cleaned out my fridge and realized I have several apples that really need to be used soon.
It clicked! Apple pie sourdough bread!
When baking with sourdough it is important to make sure your starter is active. This just means it has been fed within the last 4-12 hours.
Or, it was fed, became active and has been in the fridge. This is the method I use.
I get a lot of questions about using my starter straight from the fridge. It works remarkably well and by keeping my starter in the fridge
I don’t have to feed it as often and have no discarding at all.
Why Sourdough?
Sourdough is a process of fermenting your bread dough with a sourdough starter.
This process breaks down the gluten and proteins that can sometimes be hard to digest for gluten sensitive people.
In order to get the most benefits of the fermentation process, you need to let your dough ferment for at least 12-24 hours.
As you can see, the process of sourdough can be very helpful for many people. If you’ve never made a sourdough starter (How to make a sourdough starter) it’s easy and fairly quick to do.
The great news is that once you have an active starter, as long as you maintain it, it will last for as long as you want it.
There are starters that have been handed down through generations!
For this recipe I am using freshly milled hard white wheat for a lighter loaf.
Ingredients you will need:
- Flour
- Sourdough starter
- Water
- Salt
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Apples
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
For the apple filling, chop 2 medium apples into small chunks. Preheat a skillet over low-medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add the apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook slowly until the apples are softened but not mushy. This should take approximately 6-8 minutes.
How to make Apple Pie Sourdough Bread
The morning you want to make this, add the water, oil, honey, salt, and starter to a bowl. Mix well. Start adding flour. Add 3 cups first.
Mix well and add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until it develops into a soft ball of dough.
Make note to not add so much flour that it is dry. It should be shaggy and soft but workable.
Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth, about 6-8 minutes.
You can use a Stand Mixer on speed 2 to knead the dough.
Turn onto a very lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle shape.
Add the apples and fold the dough a few times to incorporate them throughout the dough. Roll the ball around the surface to tighten the seam and build some tension.
Take your banneton basket or medium colander and line it with a tea towel. Generously flour the towel.
Add the ball of dough, seam side up, to the colander or banneton basket.
Cover and allow to rise for 4-8 hours. You will know it is ready to bake when an indention made with your finger stays in the dough.
If it springs back, cover and allow to rise a little longer.
Preheat your oven with the dutch oven inside to 450 degrees F.
Take a piece of parchment paper and turn the dough, seam side down on the paper. Take a sharp knife or razor blade and slice the top of the dough.
You can get fancy with this or just one slice into the dough will work fine.
Place very carefully into the dutch oven, place the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
Take the lid off and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.
To store, placed cooled loaf in a bread bag and leave on the counter for up to 5-7 days.
Alternatively, you can placed the cooled sliced loaf in a bread bag and place in the freezer. Take out the night before you want to use it.
Apple Pie Sourdough Bread
A slightly sweet artisan loaf filled with deliciously cooked apples and spices.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2-4 cups flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 medium apples
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
Preheat skillet over low-medium heat.
Chop apples into small chunks.
Add butter to preheated pan and add the apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Cook until apples start to soften. Do not let them get mushy. This should take approximately 6-8 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the water, oil, honey, salt, and sourdough starter. Mix well.
Add 3 cups of flour and mix well. Continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft shaggy dough forms.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a rectangular shape.
Add the apple mixture.
Turn the dough a few times to incorporate the mix ins completely.
Prepare a banneton basket by sprinkling generously with flour.
Roll the dough into a ball and pull on the countertop to build tension in the dough.
Place smooth side down into the banneton basket.
Stitch the seam tightly.
Cover and allow to rise 4-8 hours.
Preheat a dutch oven in the oven at 450 degrees F
Bake with lid on for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until deeply golden brown.
Allow to cool completely before slicing
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! It was absolutely delicious! This was my first “flavored” sourdough– I just am learning sourdough this summer and I am intrigued to try some different recipes as such. I have enjoyed your website and laid back approach to sourdough baking. I started with the technical recipes and am getting a better feel for things now- still VERY new, to things, but your site/approach is a welcomed one. Many blessings!