Cinnamon Sourdough Apple Bread Recipe with Starter
A delicious round of sourdough apple bread swirled with diced apples, cinnamon and brown sugar and baked to perfection. It tastes like apple pie filling has been baked right into the bread.
Summer is my favorite season when we’re in the middle of enjoying all the bounty from our garden and the local farms. The sunny days, blue skies, and more relaxed schedule are pretty great too! But then fall rolls around and the crisp, juicy apples, pumpkin-spiced-everything, harvest festivals, and cooler weather suddenly become my new favorite. There is so much to enjoy about every season, isn’t there?
This crusty loaf of sourdough apple bread with a moist crumb and is the perfect way to start the fall season off right. The best apples for this recipe are tart apples, such as Granny Smith, because they help balance the sweetness of the brown sugar. They are also a kind of apple that holds up well during baking and doesn’t turn to mush like some softer apple varieties.
Buy a box of apples from your nearest fruit stand, or go apple picking at a local apple orchard. Using produce that was grown in your area and harvested recently will result in the best flavor as well as more health benefits.
Why Sourdough?
Something I truly love about baking with sourdough is that I’m bringing back to my kitchen a simple health practice that has been used for thousands of years. Not only is sourdough healthier, but sourdough tastes so much better as well. The method of sourdough baking was lost just a few generations ago as convenience food came into existence. I am happy there has been a renewal of interest in sourdough in the past several years. I know I will never go back to regular yeast bread again! If you love sourdough too, I hope you’ll have a look at all of my sourdough recipes.
If you’re new to sourdough, or this is your first time trying an artisan loaf, make sure to check out my tips on How to make Sourdough Starter More Active.
Tips for Sourdough Apple Bread:
- When performing stretch and folds, you can lightly dip your hands in water to keep the dough from sticking to them. Try not to add too much water or it will change the hydration of your dough. And definitely don’t add any extra flour to your dough as this will also change the hydration.
- The fresh apples in the dough make the dough a little extra sticky. Whether you’re using a banneton basket or a bowl for your dough’s overnight rise, you will want to line your container with a tea towel or liner and sprinkle it liberally with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Because there are apples baked into the sourdough apple bread, it should only be left at room temperature for up to 2 days. Place it in the refrigerator or freezer for longer term storage.
Serving Suggestions:
As a child, did your school cafeteria ever serve chili and cinnamon rolls? It sounds like an unlikely combination, but they actually complement each other very well. Just as unexpectedly, this sourdough apple bread recipe is another great companion to chili. There’s just something about the sweet cinnamon apple flavor that goes well with chili. Try it with this Pumpkin Chorizo Chili and you’ll see what I mean.
Another delicious way to eat this bread is topped with a slice of cheddar. If you’re a fan of the New England-style apple pie topped with melted cheddar, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this suggestion for an easy, tasty snack or lunch. This is a great bread for slathering on butter as well.
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup sourdough starter
Warm water
Large apples
Butter
Brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Tools You May Need:
Bowl scraper
Parchment paper
How to Make Sourdough Apple Bread:
Feed starter
Feed your sourdough starter at least 4-10 hours before starting the dough. You want it to be active and bubbly before you begin making the dough. An active starter will make a significant difference in the amount your dough will rise.
Make dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour and salt) as well as the wet ingredients (sourdough starter and water). Work together the dough with your hands. Let rest for 30 minutes to let the dough autolyze, or fully absorb the liquid.
Make apple mixture
Meanwhile, make the apple mixture by peeling the apples and dicing them into ½-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Next, add the apples and stir to coat. Then, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the apple mixture. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Stretch and folds
There will be a total of 3 stretch and folds, each separated by 30 minutes. Start the first set of stretch and folds after the dough has autolyzed for 30 minutes. Pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded. Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
During the second set of stretch and folds, you will begin to add in the cinnamon apple mixture. Use a slotted spoon to drain any liquid from the apples. Spread half of the apple mixture over the surface of the dough. Then, pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded, making sure to keep the apple pieces inside the pocket of dough as you fold each side over. Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
In the third set of stretch and folds, spread the remaining apple mixture over the surface of the dough. Then, pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded.
Bulk rise
Cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let the dough do a bulk fermentation overnight at room temperature for 8-12 hours, until doubled in size.
Second ferment
In the morning, scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Being careful not to deflate the dough, fold the dough over a couple of times to form it into a ball. Let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
Sprinkle a banneton basket liberally with flour and place the dough into the basket. Cover with a clean dish towel and let double in size 2-4 hours.
Bake bread
Once the dough is doubled in size, remove it from the banneton by carefully turning it out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Score the top of the dough just before placing it in the oven.
Place a dutch oven into a cold oven and set the oven to 450 F. Once the oven is preheated, remove the dutch oven and place the bread with parchment paper into the dutch oven. Replace the lid. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid, then 10-15 minutes with the lid off until dark golden brown on top.
Remove sourdough apple bread from dutch oven and onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Sample Baking Schedule:
Noon: Feed sourdough starter.
6:30 pm: Mix dough and let rest for 30 minutes to autolyze. Make apple mixture.
7:00-8:30 pm: Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds (1 set every 30 minutes).
8:30 pm: Cover dough and let rise overnight.
6:30 am: Form dough into ball and let rest.
7 am: Place dough in banneton and allow to rise until double.
10 am: Preheat dutch oven & bake the sourdough apple bread
FAQ:
Why do you do stretch and folds?
Stretch and folds build the gluten structure in the dough, helping it to become stretchy and elastic and form into a more workable ball of dough that can be shaped for baking. They are often used with wetter dough that can be too sticky to knead. Stretch and folds are more gentle than kneading the dough by hand or with a stand mixer and require less time directly handling the dough. This can actually produce better bread than vigorous kneading. source Stretch and folds are also a great way to produce more bubbles in your bread, which is desirable in artisan loafs.
How long does artisan sourdough last?
Store sourdough apple bread in an airtight container. Sourdough bread will last 5-6 days before it is too stale to eat. It will take another 1-6 days before it goes moldy. However, because there are apples baked into this artisan sourdough apple bread, it should only be left at room temperature up to 2 days. Place it in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
Is artisan sourdough bread healthy?
Artisan sourdough bread is generally healthier than regular white bread. This is because white flour alone doesn’t add much nutritious value to food. It can also be hard on the gut. Fermenting flour with water creates healthy bacteria, or a sourdough starter. Sourdough is packed with nutrients, healthy carbs, protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins like folate. You can increase the nutritional value of artisan sourdough bread by using a mixture of whole wheat flour and white flour and then fermenting them with your sourdough starter.
Find More Sourdough Bread Recipes:
- Classic Sourdough Waffles or Pancakes
- Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Honey Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Best Artisan Basil Sourdough Bread
- Easy Rye Sourdough Sandwich Bread
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!
Sourdough Apple Bread
A delicious round of sourdough apple bread swirled with diced apples, cinnamon and brown sugar and baked to perfection. It tastes like apple pie filling has been baked right into the bread.
Ingredients
- ½ cup active sourdough starter
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 Granny Smith apples (about 2 cups peeled and diced)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
1. Feed your sourdough starter at least 4-10 hours before starting the dough. You want it to be active and bubbly before you begin making the dough.
2. In a large bowl, combine the starter, water, flour, and salt. Work together with your hands. Let rest for 30 minutes to let the dough autolyze, or fully absorb the liquid.
3. Meanwhile, make the apple mixture by peeling the apples and dicing them into ½-inch cubes. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. There will be a total of 3 stretch and folds, each separated by 30 minutes. Start the first set of stretch and folds after the dough has autolyzed for 30 minutes. Pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded. Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. During the second set of stretch and folds, you will begin to add in the apple mixture. Use a slotted spoon to drain any liquid from the apples. Spread half of the apple mixture over the surface of the dough. Then, pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded, making sure to keep the apple pieces inside the pocket of dough as you fold each side over. Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
6. In the third set of stretch and folds, spread the remaining apple mixture over the surface of the dough. Then, pull one side of the dough up and then fold the dough to the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let the dough do a bulk fermentation overnight at room temperature for 8-12 hours, until doubled in size.
8. In the morning, scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Being careful not to deflate the dough, fold the dough over a couple of times to form it into a ball. Let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
9. Sprinkle a banneton basket liberally with flour and place the dough into the basket. Cover with a clean dish towel and let double in size 2-4 hours.
10. Once the dough is doubled in size, remove it from the banneton by carefully turning it out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Score the top of the dough just before placing it in the oven.
11. Place a dutch oven into a cold oven and set the oven to 450 F. Once the oven is preheated, remove the dutch oven and place the bread with parchment paper into the dutch oven. Replace the lid. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid, then 10-15 minutes with the lid off until dark golden brown on top.
12. Remove sourdough apple bread from dutch oven and onto a baker’s rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- When performing stretch and folds, you can lightly dip your hands in water to keep the dough from sticking to them. Try not to add too much water or it will change the hydration of your dough. And definitely don’t add any extra flour to your dough as this will also change the hydration.
- The apple in the dough makes the dough a little extra sticky. Whether you're using a banneton basket or a bowl for your dough's overnight rise, you will want to line your container with a tea towel or liner and sprinkle it liberally with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Because there are apples baked into the sourdough apple bread, it should only be left at room temperature for up to 2 days. Place it in the refrigerator or freezer for longer term storage.