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Aug 25, 2019

Sourdough Apple Bread | and the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This sourdough apple bread, loaded with Granny Smith apples and golden raisins, is so soft and flavorful. 


Sourdough Apple Bread

This sourdough apple bread is tangy and fruity. The dough is leavened with both sourdough starter and instant yeast. It's a method I like using when I want to add flavor to my loaves, but still want to be able to follow a shorter baking schedule. 


This bread makes the most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, especially if you add more apple and baby greens to the sandwich (I've also made a grilled cheese sandwich with this bread with baby spinach and red onions..... so delicious). 

Sourdough Apple Bread | and the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients for this sourdough apple bread:


First, you will need some active sourdough starter. What does "active sourdough starter mean? It is sourdough starter that has been fed within the last few hours and has had enough time to get all bubbly.

Sourdough starter


Next, you will need a Granny Smith apple, flour, rolled oats, plus some golden raisins or other dried fruit (such as dried cranberries, dried cherries, or dried blueberries), perfect or autumn. 

The recipe also includes potato flour, which helps the bread retain moisture and stay super soft. If you don't have potato flour, you can also use potato flakes from instant potatoes.

Sourdough Apple Bread Loaf

Tools to Make Sourdough Apple Bread: 


This bread is OMG good. It's soft and ridiculously flavorful.

To make this bread, I used a scale, an instant read thermometer, a stand mixer, and an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch bread pan. You can probably get away without the scale, the mixer, and the thermometer, but they make things so much easier, and once you get them, you will use them over and over. I promise.


Sourdough Apple Bread Loaf sliced

How to make Sourdough Apple Bread


First, in the bowl of your stand mixer, you combine all of the ingredients except the apples and the dried fruit, and knead for about two minutes with the dough hook.

Next, you add the fruit and continue kneading with the dough hook for about 7 minutes.

Next, you let the dough rise for about 90 minutes, until it's almost doubled. Shape the dough into a log and place it into a loaf pan and let it rise for about an hour.

Finally, bake the loaf for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Keep an eye on the loaf and tent it with foil if it is getting too brown on top.

Once you bake this bread, the first thing you should try is a grilled cheese sandwich. My first sandwich was cheddar, baby spinach, and red onion. My next one was cheddar, apple, and baby greens. What combos would you suggest?

By the way, I make a straight up grilled cheese sandwich with this bread for my skeptical daughter, who declared it "delicious."


Sourdough Apple Bread



Sourdough Apple Bread Variations: 


For the dried fruit in this bread, I've used all golden raisins, or half golden raisins and half dried cranberries. 

For the Granny Smith apples, you could substitute any tart, firm apple. While I haven't tried them, I imagine Asian pears would also work with this bread. 

Sourdough Apple Bread Loaf sliced for serving

This week, the From Our Dinner Table group is presenting fall apple recipes. I'm so excited to share all of the recipes with you:




Fall Apple Recipes


We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!



Sourdough Apple Bread Loaf sliced for serving and cheese oozing


Sourdough Apple Bread


Yield: 16 servings
Author:
This sourdough apple bread, loaded with Granny Smith apples and golden raisins, is so soft and flavorful.

ingredients:

  • 156 grams (2/3 cup) fed sourdough starter
  • 3/4 C lukewarm (100 degrees F) water. You may need to use a bit less in hot and humid weather
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 269 grams (2 1/4 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
  • 43 grams (1/4 cup) potato flour or (1/2 cup) potato flakes 
  • 35 grams (1/3 cup) rolled oats
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 113 grams (1 small apple) Granny Smith apple, cut into pieces about the size of raisins
  • 150  grams  (1 cup) golden raisins

instructions:

How to cook Sourdough Apple Bread

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the starter, water, olive oil, sugar, salt, flour, potato flour, oats, and yeast. Knead with the dough hook for about two minutes. The dough should be sticky.
  2. Add the fruit to the mixer and knead for about 6 or 7 minutes.
  3. Spray a bowl or dough rising bucket with spray oil and add the dough. Let rise for approximately 90 minutes, until a little less than doubled in size.
  4. Remove the dough and pat it down into a 7 by 12 inch rectangle and roll into a log. Place the log into a lightly greased bread pan. Spray the top of the loaf with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and allow the loaf to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until the middle is 1 inch above the rim of the bread pan.
  6. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 40 t0 45 minutes, until it reaches 190 degrees F in the center. Tent the loaf with foil if it appears to be getting too brown.
  7. Remove the loaf from the oven, let it cool in the pan for two minutes, and then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
bread, apple bread, apples, sourdough
Bread
American, French
Created using The Recipes Generator


This recipe is an update of a recipe that was originally posted here November 2012. This recipe has been adapted from King Arthur Flour

Would you like to comment?

  1. Wow-that is a a sandwich:)I would love one for breakfast-is that ok?:)Gorgeous loaf and I bet the flavor from your sourdough made it exquisite. Love your breads for #TwelveLoaves, Karen:)Thanks for joining us again!

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    1. I had one for breakfast actually =) Thank you for your creating #TwelveLoaves. It's really fun to participate.

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  2. Stilton, pork loin and caramelized onions. All go well together and with apples. Match made in heaven

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  3. That is flippin' fantastic! I want the loaf and I want the sammie. I love any sort of grilled cheese. I'm thinking smoked gouda, arugula, and tomato chutney. Mmmm... thanks for adding it to the BYOB bread basket this month, Karen. :)

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    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh. What a fantastic combo. Thanks for hosting BYOB this year!

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  4. This bread sounds amazing! Perfect for autumn, and definitely good for grilled cheese! :) Or french toast!!!

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  5. Bellissimo voglio farla non appena riesco a tradurre bene le quantità americane !!
    complimenti

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  6. Wow, I think I just licked my screen. The loaf of bread looks fantastic! You sandwich is perfect too.

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  7. Thanks for the fabulous inspiration for SRC - I love this loaf!

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you like it! Loved your substitutions!

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  8. Not sure my comment was posted but I am new to the art of bread making. Can I substitute the potato flakes for coconut flakes or could I use full flour for the potato flour which I do not have handy? Also, should I pre-heat my oven for 60 - 90 minutes while the dough is rising? Looking forward to your reply and thanks for posting this awesome recipe.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Kenna. I would not add coconut flakes as a substitute. The potato flakes soften the bread and help it retain moisture. If you have potato flour on hand, use that. You can also cook some potatoes and add them, and lower the water amount. Yes, preheat the oven while the dough is rising. Thanks for visiting!

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  9. Well, I certainly have my next sourdough recipe. OH MY YUM!!

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    Replies
    1. Definitely! It's pretty foolproof, and totally delicious.

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  10. mmmmmm...I could probably eat this entire loaf myself!

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  11. That is one killer grilled cheese sandwich! I love the combo of sweet and savory! The bread looks incredible, and I love all the mix-ins!

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  12. That cheese! That bread!! Oh, my goodness...you are making my mouth water.

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  13. Time to wake my sourdough starter out of hibernation. I have added raisins to bread before, but not apples. I bet the grilled cheese sandwich was amazing!

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  14. This bread looks so light and flavorful. I wish I were there to share a piece!

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  15. That texture and crumb look fabulous!! And those flecks of apple and raisins look so good.

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  16. I can not imagine using Asian Pears as suggested as a possibility. A few years back I forked over $2.50 for one, and I was serious underwhelmed. Watery and soft and mediocre flavor. I would suggest of you want pears, dehydrate them if they are very jucy, not as dry as raisins, but they will sweeten and intensify,(I just made pear pancakes, easier to make the cakes and make pear sauce separate as a topper).

    I have made Julia Child's pain de mie many many times and as rasin bread it is great with semi dried apple bits AND raisins, even better.

    Nice site, glad I found it.

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