This unique recipe combines the craft of artisan bread-making with the delicious flavor of tart Granny Smith apples and sweet maple syrup.
With tips for using a French oven and making homemade maple butter, this recipe is sure to impress your family and friends.
Artisan Apple Bread is a labor of love that starts the night before with mixing flour, salt, yeast, and cool water to create a dough that will develop overnight.
The next day, the dough is combined with chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon, then baked to perfection.
The result is a rustic loaf of bread with a crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior, bursting with the flavors of tart apples and sweet maple syrup.
To take it to the next level, homemade maple butter adds a decadent and irresistible touch.
List of Ingredients:
For the Apple Bread Dough:
- 4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1¾ cups cool water
For the Chopped Apples:
- 2-3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 2½ cups)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Maple Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (32 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (85 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
The night before baking, prepare the Apple Bread Dough by mixing flour, salt, yeast, and cool water in a large bowl. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or overnight, to allow the dough to develop.
The next day, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a French oven or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid in the oven to preheat as well.
In a separate bowl, combine the chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon to make the filling for the bread.
Once the oven and the French oven or Dutch oven are preheated, carefully remove the hot pot from the oven. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured surface. Flatten the dough and spread the apple filling evenly over the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and shape it into a round loaf.
Carefully place the dough into the hot French oven or Dutch oven, seam side down. Cover the pot with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
While the bread is baking, prepare the Maple Butter by combining butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a stand mixer. Mix until well combined, then transfer the butter to a container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Once the bread is baked, carefully remove it from the French oven or Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve the Artisan Apple Bread warm or at room temperature, tearing off pieces and spreading with homemade Maple Butter for a truly indulgent treat.
Enjoy your unique and delicious Artisan Apple Bread with the perfect combination of tart apples, sweet maple syrup, and a rustic artisan-style crust!
