Twisted Sourdough Apple Bread Recipe

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by Audra Trosper

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Sprinkle the top of the dough with apple, streusel, and cinnamon spread fillings.

by Audra Trosper

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Gently settle the dough in a pan.

by Audra Trosper

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A slice of the finished bread is delicious served warm from the oven with butter.

by Audra Trosper

2 loaves SERVINGS

Directions

• Make the Dough: I always use unbleached, natural cane sugar, real butter, real vanilla, and unbleached bread flour. I’m not sure what effect any substitutions would have on the end result.
• Add everything except butter to the bowl and mix it together on the lowest setting using the paddle (no, the dough hook really doesn’t work here, you’ll use that soon).
• Once it’s combined well, turn off the mixer, remove the paddle, and let dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Attach the dough hook and set the mixer to low or medium to knead. Mine has a “mix” setting that seems to work best. As it’s kneading, add butter, a tablespoon or so at a time, letting it mix in most of the way each time before adding the next, until all butter is mixed in.
• Let the mixer continue to knead for another 5 minutes or so. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn off the mixer, remove the hook, and pop a reusable bowl bonnet or damp dishcloth over the bowl to keep dough from drying out.
• Let dough hang out in the bowl on the counter until it doubles. I’ve had it hit that mark at around 5 hours, and I’ve had it take almost 8 hours. Like all dough — yeast or sourdough — it depends on the temperature of your kitchen. I generally prefer my kitchen to be a bit cooler and have it take longer. Sourdough does better when it isn’t rushed.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. This is where you can decide how busy the rest of your day is. If you don’t feel like doing anything else with the dough at the end of 3 hours, no worries. Properly covered, it will be completely happy hanging out in the fridge until you’re ready the next day.
• While the dough chills in the refrigerator (or the next day, before you take it out), prepare fillings. Make the cinnamon spread last so it’s still slightly warm and easy to spread.
• Apple Filling: Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in cinnamon, then add apples and mix. Simmer, stirring regularly until apples start to brown. Remove from burner and set aside to cool.
• Streusel Filling: Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to mix well. The melted butter should make a barely damp crumble.
• Cinnamon Spread Filling: Melt butter in a saucepan, then mix in brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Assemble the Bread: Let’s put it all together. Prepare your pans by lightly greasing them with butter. Then press unbleached parchment paper into each as a liner.
• Remove dough from the fridge and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle, roughly 20 inches long and 30 inches wide; it doesn’t have to be exact. Once it’s to size, sprinkle cinnamon spread over dough, getting as close to the edges as you can. Then, use the back of a spoon to press and smooth it over the dough. Distribute apple filling over the dough, and then sprinkle streusel mixture over everything.
• Roll up dough nice and tight, starting with the short end. Once rolled, cut the dough in half and turn both halves so they’re vertical to you. Partially cut each roll into 2 long halves, leaving a couple of inches or so uncut at the top so that your rolls each have two “legs.”
• Here’s where things get messy — or maybe just messier than they’ve already been. Take one of the rolls and pull both “legs” to the right slightly. Then, take the right leg and place it over the left. Repeat until the dough is twisted to the end. Yes, bits of the filling are falling out. Yes, there’s a little voice in your head that’s certain you’re doing it wrong, and the whole thing is destined to be a disaster. Ignore the voice. You’re almost done. Pinch the top edge of the uncut area to seal it and turn it under slightly. Then, do the same with the bottom of the twist.
• Next, gently lift the twist and settle it in the pan. It may not want to settle in the pan. Carefully adjust the loaf as best you can to fit in there. Now, gather up all the bits of apples and crumble that escaped and sprinkle over the top of the loaf. Repeat this whole process with the other roll.
• Cover the pans with bowl bonnets or damp flour sack towels. Allow them to rise for 2 to 4 hours. Do not rush this part. Give the loaves time to double in size.
• Preheat oven to 350 F and bake the loaves for 40 to 60 minutes. Make sure you have a thermometer handy and check a loaf to determine that they’ve reached an internal temperature of 180 F before you remove them. Do not overbake or they’ll dry out. Set them on the cooling rack and let them cool down in their pans.
• Top It Off: There are two more things to prepare. One is a simple syrup, which helps the loaf maintain moisture. The other is a glaze. I know, it seems like a lot, but this is a dessert bread, after all. If you really feel it’s over the top (it’s not), you can use melted butter in place of the simple syrup.
• Simple Syrup: Add water and sugar to a saucepan and stir constantly over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Divide the syrup in half. Poke several holes through the warm bread with a small, sharp knife (not serrated). Brush half the syrup over each loaf. Leave to sit and soak in until the bread is cooled.
• Gently remove the loaves from the pans and parchment, then place them on a plate. I left mine in the pan for the next step to see how it did this time. Result: It stuck to the pan in places where there was no parchment paper, and I had to gently loosen it with a knife.
• Vanilla Glaze: This is one of my older recipes, and I haven’t converted glaze ingredients to weights yet. So, for this part, break out your measuring utensils. Whisk together until smooth and then drizzle over the loaves until your heart says, “That’s enough.”