Apple Fritter Bread

 
Makes 1 loaf

Tip: Baking is typically a scientific process, but when I bake a recipe like this, it’s simply magic. If you find baking intimidating, take baby steps, but DO bake from scratch and DO build your way to this delicious yeast bread. I really believe you’ll be proud of your magical results.

Filling Ingredients
3 medium-large apples (Honey Crisp or any tart baking apple)
2 tsp lemon juice
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Prep & Directions
Wash, peel, core and dice apples.
In a skillet, combine diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, vanilla, butter, cinnamon and cornstarch. Cook, stirring regularly, over medium-low heat until apples are tender and mixture is slightly thickened (about 10 – 15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Dough Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour (plus up to ½ cup more for rolling)
1 package dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
¼ tsp salt
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup water
1 egg, beaten

Prep & Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a bread pan, about 9”x5”x3”.
Combine flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and stir well.
Heat the milk in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form and add butter. Stir to melt butter completely; remove from heat.

Add water, egg, and milk/butter mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly until a soft dough is formed. At this point, I use the kneading hook on my stand mixer and knead the dough for 5 minutes. You can also hand-knead on a lightly floured surface. Dough will be sticky; don’t add more flour! Place back in bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour.

Scrape raised dough out of bowl onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough into a rectangle, approximately 12″x 18″, sprinkling lightly with flour to prevent sticking (as needed). Spread cooled apple mixture evenly over the dough. Cut dough into somewhat even squares. Using a spatula, stack squares on top of each other and make four or five piles (this part is super messy). Place stacks of dough sideways into bread pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and center of bread is 200 – 205 degrees F (use instant read thermometer). Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the bread pan to a serving plate.

Glaze Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk

Directions
Stir together glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm loaf.

This bread is delicious served warm.