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Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread

This Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread is a cozy fall twist on a classic sourdough loaf, filled with fresh apples, brown sugar, and warm cinnamon. It’s lightly sweet, full of apple flavor, and makes the whole house smell amazing while it bakes. Serve a thick slice slightly warm with a generous slab of butter for an irresistible fall treat the whole family will love.
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Course: Breakfast, lunch, Snack
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sourdough Dough
  • 100 g active sourdough starter
  • 375 g warm water
  • 500 g bread flour
  • 10 g salt
  • 25 g brown sugar or honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Apple Cinnamon Filling
  • 1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Method
 

Mix the Dough
  1. In a large bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, warm water, and brown sugar or honey
  2. Add the bread flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms
  3. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold
  1. Perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds, approximately 30 minutes apart.
  2. 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.
Prepare the Apple Filling
  1. Peel and finely dice the apple.
  2. Pat the apple pieces with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
  3. Combine the diced apple with 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp flour
  4. Set aside.
Add the Apples
  1. Turn the fermented dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently stretch it into a rectangle.
  2. Spread half of the apple mixture over the dough.
  3. Fold the dough into thirds. Gently stretch it again and add the remaining apple mixture.
  4. Add chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
  5. Fold the dough over itself and gently shape into a round loaf.
Cold Proof
  1. Place the shaped loaf seam-side up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for 8-16 hours.
Preheat
  1. Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 450°F for approximately 30-45 minutes.
Bake
  1. Turn the cold dough onto a piece of parchment paper and score the top.
  2. Carefully place the loaf into a preheated Dutch oven.
  3. Bake covered at 450°F for 25 minutes.
  4. 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.
Cool
  1. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack.
  2. 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!