Rustic and whimsical. Twisted and curved. Layered with soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and studded with bits of apple; this sweet apple bread recipe bakes up with the intoxicating aroma you’d anticipate from a warm autumnal treat.
Despite its intricate appearance, this apple bread recipe is one of the easiest sweet breads to make. Let it be known, I do not like to bake. At all. I do not like measurements or applying rules in the kitchen. Though I’ll always make an exception for cupcakes, a loaf of homemade country bread, and this easy cinnamon apple twisted bread.
With only one apple, and a few pantry staples, you can make two loaves of this autumnal twisted bread. While the prep time is quite minimal, you will have to allot a few hours for the dough rise, making this the perfect recipe for a cozy, chilly autumn day at home.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 ½ tsp dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 2 ½ cups flour, plus more for dusting* all-purpose, unbleached
- 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped recommended, Honey Crisp
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, divided
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Briefly mix and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. If the mixture does not froth and bubble, the yeast is inactive and the bread will not rise.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add 2 cups (250 g) of flour and 1/4 cup (49.5 g) granulated sugar. Mix well to combine. Add the chopped apple and mix well again, noting that the texture of the mixture will be coarse.
- Whisk 1 egg lightly and add to the mixture, roughly stir together. Melt 1/2 cup (113 g) of butter and slowly pour into the mixture while mixing. Slowly stream in the yeast mixture and continue to mix, making sure to press into any dry flour so that the contents come together into a shaggy, cohesive mass.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle in a little of the reserved 1/2 cup (60 g) of flour. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, continuing to add in more of the reserved flour a little as you go, until all of the flour is incorporated. Some of the apple pieces may fall out while kneading, just add them back in. The final texture of the kneaded dough should be soft and slightly sticky. If it is still too sticky, add in a bit more flour.
- Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Brush a little bit of the oil over the surface of the dough and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and place the bowl in a warm, draft-free, spot for 2 hours, until double in size.
- After the dough rises, gently punch it down once. Turn it onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and divide it into two equal parts. Cover one half and set aside. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12-15 inches (30cm – 38cm) long and about 1/2-inch (1.27-cm) thick.
- Spread 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the room temperature butter on the top of the dough, leaving the edges unbuttered. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on the dough, leaving the edges unsugared. Roll the dough, lengthwise, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam together on the long-side to seal. Leaving 1-inch from the top of the log, slice the balance of the log lengthwise. Twist the two sliced halves together gently, forming a wreath shape, and pinch the ends together to seal. Note that some of the sugar will likely spill out a bit, take care to not lose too much. Don’t fret though, if excess falls out, just tuck it back into some of the layers.
- Place the wreath on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process with the other half of dough. Let both wreaths rest, covered, in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). When the wreaths are ready for baking, lightly brush them with an egg wash on the exposed doughy parts, and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow the bread to cool slightly before cutting, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
© chasingtheseasons. All images & content are copyright and trademark protected. Please do not use my photography without prior written permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.
