Apple season has been keeping me busy around here, and apparently I decided that processing pounds and pounds of apples wasn’t enough, and that I also needed to start putting them in my sourdough.
I’m so glad I did.
This Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread has quickly become a favorite in our house. My whole family is in love with it, and I don’t think anyone complains when another loaf comes out of the oven.
The combination of fresh apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and sourdough is so good. Oh my goodness, and the smell? My entire house smells absolutely amazing every single time I bake a loaf.
Our favorite way to eat it is while it’s still slightly warm with a big slab of butter melting into it.
Yum.
If you’re looking for a cozy fall sourdough recipe to make during apple season, this one needs to go on your list.
Putting All Those Apples to Good Use
If you’ve been following along, you know that I recently brought home 60 pounds of apples from our local co-op. I had Honeycrisp, Gala, and Golden Delicious apples to work through, so my kitchen has basically become apple headquarters.
I’ve been making applesauce, fruit leather, freeze-dried apples, canned apple pie filling, and saving my scraps for homemade apple cider vinegar.
And, naturally, some of those apples needed to find their way into a loaf of sourdough.
Read about what I’m doing with 60 pounds of apples
This bread is one of my favorite ways I’ve used them so far.
Why We Love This Apple Sourdough Bread
This isn’t quite a dessert bread, but it isn’t your everyday sourdough loaf either.
The sourdough still has that wonderful chewy texture and tangy flavor, while the apples add little pockets of sweetness throughout the loaf. Cinnamon and brown sugar make it feel like fall without turning it into an overly sweet bread.
It’s delicious straight from the loaf, but warm it slightly and add butter and it’s on an entirely different level.
Seriously. Don’t skip the butter.
It’s wonderful for breakfast with coffee, as an afternoon snack, or as one of those slices you grab while walking through the kitchen because you just need to make sure it’s still good.
Spoiler: it is.
What Kind of Apples Should You Use?
I’ve been using the apples I already have on hand, particularly Honeycrisp and Gala, and both work beautifully.
Honeycrisp apples hold their texture nicely and have that sweet-tart apple flavor, while Gala apples tend to be a little sweeter.
You don’t need a lot of apple for this recipe. One medium apple is plenty.
In fact, adding too many apples can add too much moisture to the dough. That’s one of those times when more isn’t necessarily better.
The Secret Is Cutting the Apples Small
One thing I’ve learned while making this loaf is to dice the apples very small.
Large pieces of apple can create wet pockets inside the bread and make shaping the dough more difficult.
After chopping my apple, I like to pat the pieces with a paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture. Then I toss them with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little flour.
The flour helps absorb some of the juices from the apples while the bread bakes.
Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, warm water, and brown sugar or honey
- Add the bread flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms
- Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds, approximately 30 minutes apart.
- After the final set, cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment until it looks puffy and has increased by about 50-75% in size.
- Peel and finely dice the apple.
- Pat the apple pieces with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Combine the diced apple with 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp flour
- Set aside.
- Turn the fermented dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently stretch it into a rectangle.
- Spread half of the apple mixture over the dough.
- Fold the dough into thirds. Gently stretch it again and add the remaining apple mixture.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
- Fold the dough over itself and gently shape into a round loaf.
- Place the shaped loaf seam-side up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate for 8-16 hours.
- Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 450°F for approximately 30-45 minutes.
- Turn the cold dough onto a piece of parchment paper and score the top.
- Carefully place the loaf into a preheated Dutch oven.
- Bake covered at 450°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 425°F, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply golden brown.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack.
- Allow the loaf to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. The apples add extra moisture, so allowing the bread to cool completely will give you the best crumb.
Notes
- Honeycrisp and Gala apples both work well.
- Dice the apples very small to prevent large, wet pockets inside the loaf.
- Avoid adding more than one medium apple.
- Pat especially juicy apples dry before adding them to the dough.
- For extra apple flavor, replace 50g of the water with apple cider.
- Pecans or walnuts make a delicious fall addition.
- Try a toasted slice with salted butter!
My Favorite Way to Serve It
Warm.
With butter.
Lots of butter.
That’s it.
You really don’t need to do anything fancy with this bread. A thick slice warmed just enough to soften it, topped with a generous slab of butter that melts down into all those little pockets of apple and cinnamon is pretty hard to beat.
Pair it with a hot cup of coffee on a chilly fall morning and I’m happy.
Another Apple Recipe for the Books
When I brought home 60 pounds of apples, I knew we’d be eating a lot of apple recipes around here. I just didn’t realize this bread would become one of our favorites.
Between the smell filling the house while it bakes and everyone hovering around the kitchen waiting for a slice, this Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread has earned itself a permanent place in my fall baking rotation.
If you’ve got a few apples sitting on your counter and an active sourdough starter bubbling away, make this loaf.
And don’t forget the butter.
More Apple Recipes From Patriot Street Homestead
If you’re working through apple season too, check out some of the other ways I’ve been preserving and enjoying our apples:
What I’m Doing With 60 Pounds of Apples
Homemade Water-Bath Canned Applesauce
Homemade Apple Fruit Leather
Canned Apple Pie Filling
Happy baking!
From my kitchen to yours,
Eliza