Recipe: Cinnamon Apple Loaf

I based this on my cinnamon rolls recipe, but it’s less fuss and easier to portion. The apples give it not only a bit of zing but will also keep the loaf moist and serve as built-in applesauce so you don’t have to mess around with extra (which of course you can if you want to anyway).

Makes two loaves, because honestly the first one will be gone in a heartbeat.

Actual making time: ~25min
Proving: 60min
Baking time: 60min
Oven heat: ~ 220°C or 3 on a gas oven

You’ll need…

For the dough:
1pck fresh yeast
800g flour (I use wheat type 405)
500ml milk or the vegan equivalent of your choice
80-100g sugar (depends on how sweet you want it)
2tbs ground cardamom OR a 1:2 mixture of cinnamon and ground ginger
50g butter, room-tempered
pinch of salt
1-2 large apples, diced

For the filling:
butter
cinnamon & sugar, mixed (about 1:3)
2 large apples, diced
extra flour for your workspace (so just just the rest of that kilo)

Heat the milk to what I call “nice bathing temperature” and crumble in the fresh yeast. Let it sit while you mit sugar, salt and cardamom and measure the butter. Pour your yeasted milk into your mixing bowl and add butter and cardamom sugar, mix well and start adding flour. I use a spoon first – at least room temperature so it won’t shock the yeast! – and then go into kneading when it’s a bit dryer. Work the dough and add more flour if necessary until it stops sticking to your fingers. And has the consistency of an earlobe (it sounds strange but helps a lot). Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it prove next to the radiator or in another warm place for at least an hour.

Once the dough has risen nicely take it out of the bowl and onto your flour-dusted work surface. Give it a good kneading and then add the first set of diced apples by simply folding the dough around the apple and kneading some more. This will increase the moistness of the dough so make sure to have enough flour left to generously re-dust the surface every now and then until it stops being sticky.
Halve your dough, put one half aside and roll out the other to about 1.5cm thick. Spread the cinnamon-sugar mix evenly on a thin layer of butter all over the rolled-out dough, then roll the whole thing up (I find that it helps to fold in the ends first). Flatten the roll a litte, then slice it open end-to-end leaving a few centimeters closed on each side, twist it a little so you have some of the cinnamon filling showing, put in a loaf tin and stuff 1/2 of the remaining apples into that split.

Bake for 60min or until the top of the loaf is golden brown. With a gas oven I found it helpful to boost the temperature for the last 10min one last time by simply turning up the gas.

Repeat the latter part of the recipe with the second half of the dough. Serve warm or toast later.

I think it speaks for itself that my first-try loaf was gone in 15min after I gave it to the RPG session that was taking place in our living room. Good thing the recipe makes two.