Cinnamon Apple Braided Bread

I like to bake with fruit as they add moist and natural sweetness to the baked breads/cakes. Among the many, apple is my first choice, followed by bananas. Both are relatively cheap and available all year round.

 

This Cinnamon Apple Braided Bread is another of my fruity bakes. Sometimes back, I have made a similar one, using puff pastry (Apple Braided Pastry). This time, it is a yeasted bread with cinnamon apple fillings. They are soft, sweet and flavourful.

 

 

 

 

Cinnamon Apple Braided Bread

(Adapted from here; Yield : 2 loaves)

 

Bread Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup warm milk

 

Apple Filling Ingredients:

• 3 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (add 1 more tbsp if preferred)
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Method:

For the bread dough:

1. Combine flour, sugar and instant yeast in a mixing bowl.
2. Combine milk, melted butter and salt, stir until well incorporated.
3. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir using a wooden spoon to form into a soft dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth and non-sticky dough, about 8 minutes.
5.  Place dough in a oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a cool dry place for about 60 to 90 minutes, or until it doubled in size.

 

For the apple filling:

1. Place the apple slices in a mixing bowl, coat them with lemon juice.
2. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together and sprinkle them over the apple. Toss to coat them evenly.
3. Set aside until the dough is ready.

 

To assemble:

1. Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 balls.
2. Working with one ball at a time, roll the ball on a floured surface into rectangle (about 1 cm thick).
3. Visually divide the rectangular dough
4. into 3 rectangular sections. Spread half of the apple filling in the centre section.
5. On the two remaining rectangular sections, use sharp knife to cut 6 diagonal stripes of around 45 degree angle on each section.
6. Cross the stripes over one-another to form criss-cross pattern.
7. Repeat the same for the second dough ball.
8. Rest the assembled loaves for 45 minutes, covered.
9. Bake the loaves in pre-heated oven at 190 degree C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter over the surface of the loaves.

Let cool on the rack before serving.

 

I am linking this to Yeastspotting.