Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe
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This sourdough apple bread is a delicious spiced bread with caramelized apples cooked down in brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon throughout. This quick bread is packed with apple flavor and is the perfect fall treat.
When we moved onto our little homestead a few years ago I was thrilled with the multiple apple trees on the property. I couldn’t wait to learn to make applesauce, apple pie filling, and all things apple.
What I didn’t realize was I would feel a sense of overwhelm. How could I use all these apples? It feels so wasteful not to.
But honestly, it is impossible to use them all. Thankfully, we have lots of friends that love apple picking. We love being able to share our gifts with them.
So this year I’m coming up with lots of new apple recipes like this apple sourdough bread to deal with the large amounts of apples we have.
I randomly threw this together one night to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. I didn’t have high expectations for something I just whipped up on a whim. But it ended up being so good.
This is a quick bread of sorts with chunks of cinnamon apples cooked in caramel sauce throughout. You can make it right away or long ferment it to bread down the gluten and phytic acid present in the flour.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family has.
Recipe Highlights:
- A fluffy cinnamon spiced bread with a moist crumb and apple cinnamon caramel throughout.
- Great way to use up extra sourdough discard especially when you are making your own homemade starter.
- An easy dessert with all the wonderful tastes of fall. Plus, your house will smell amazing.
- Can be long fermented for health benefits
- This is a great bread to bring to a fall party, brunch, or a special breakfast.
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Tips:
- Any kind of apple should work. The best apples tend to be ones that are good for pie making. Firm, slightly more tart like granny smith apples. Honestly, I have zero idea what types of apples we have and any of them would work fine in this.
- Substitute the cinnamon for pumpkin spice for an even more flavorful bread.
- If the bread is starting to brown too much before being completely baked through, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Make this recipe vegan by substituting the butter for vegan butter.
- While technically this recipe can be made without special equipment, a stand mixer makes the process much easier.
- Turn them into apple muffins. Place the batter in muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Tools you may need:
Stand mixer with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl
Parchment paper (optional)
Knife
Cutting board
Sourdough Apple Bread Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Baking Soda and baking powder: This is what gives this recipe it’s rise.
Cinnamon: Or substitute with pumpkin spice
Salt: This is a super important ingredient in desserts. It brings out all the flavors and the sweetness.
Wet ingredients:
Sourdough starter: Sourdough discard or active starter will work. This is because this recipe utilizes commercial leaveners to give it rise rather than the wild yeast in the starter so it is a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter. Even if using discard to make this recipe, it will ferment the grains.
Butter
Brown sugar
Fresh apples: Choose your favorite variety of crisp apples
Eggs
How To Make Long Fermented Sourdough Apple Bread
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine melted butter, flour, sugar, and a cup sourdough starter.
Mix well with a silicon spatula until all the flour is coated and a ball forms. Since this is a quick bread, you do not need to knead the bread.
Cover bread dough with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
Prepare Apples
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The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bread pan well or line with parchment paper.
Heat a skillet over low heat and add butter. Allow the butter to melt.
Add diced apples.
Cook the apples down, stirring frequently until they start becoming translucent.
Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until coated with butter and it starts to caramelize and the sugar is completely melted. Be careful to not burn the apples. This is fairly easy to do.
Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Create Batter
To the bowl with the fermented dough, add eggs, salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Mix until well incorporated. This is much easier to do with a stand mixer.
Slowly add in the slightly cooled caramel apple mixture into the batter. I like to do this with the stand mixer on low gently pouring the apples in a little bit at a time. This helps it incorporate better without running the risk of cooking the eggs.
Mix together until combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 55-65 minutes until it starts to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If it is getting too brown but has not baked all the way through yet, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Allow to cool before cutting into it.
Serve with a little butter, or for an extra decadent dessert, some ice cream.
How To Make Quick Sourdough Apple Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bread pan well or line with parchment paper.
Heat a skillet over low heat and add butter. Allow the butter to melt.
Add diced apples.
Cook the apples down, stirring frequently until they start becoming translucent.
Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until coated with butter and the sugar starts to caramelize and completely melted.
Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Create Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Mix well.
Beat in sourdough starter, eggs, and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
On slow speed, add in the flour mixture to the sourdough starter mixture.
Mix until just combined.
Slowly add in the slightly cooled caramel apple mixture into the batter. I like to do this with the stand mixer on low gently pouring the apples in a little bit at a time.
Mix together until combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 55-65 minutes until it starts to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If it is getting too brown but has not baked all the way through yet, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Allow to cool before cutting into it.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before enjoying.
Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:
- Sourdough Banana Bread – One of my favorite quick breads
- Sourdough Scones
- Decadent Sourdough Blueberry Rolls
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- The Easiest Sourdough Crackers Ever
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back, comment on the post, and give it 5 stars! Please and thank you.
Sourdough Apple Bread
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Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup sourdough starter – Active or discard will work
- 1/2 cup butter 8 tablespoons
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Apple filling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups apples- chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Sprinkle of salt
Instructions
How To Make Long Fermented Sourdough Apple Bread
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine melted butter, flour, sugar, and a cup sourdough starter.
- Mix well with a silicon spatula until all the flour is coated and a ball forms. Since this is a quick bread, you do not need to knead the bread.
- Cover bread dough with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bread pan well or line with parchment paper.
- Heat a skillet over low heat and add butter. Allow the butter to melt.
- Add diced apples.
- Cook the apples down, stirring frequently until they start becoming translucent and soft.
- Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until coated with butter and it starts to caramelize and the sugar is completely melted. Be careful to not burn the apples. This is fairly easy to do.
- Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- To the bowl with the fermented dough, add eggs, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Mix until well incorporated.
- Slowly add in the slightly cooled caramel apple mixture into the batter. I like to do this with the stand mixer on low gently pouring the apples in a little bit at a time. This helps it incorporate better without running the risk of cooking the eggs.
- Mix together until combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes until it starts to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If it is getting too brown but has not baked all the way through yet, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Allow to cool before cutting into it.
- Serve with a little butter, or for an extra decadent dessert, some ice cream.
How To Make The Quick Version
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bread pan well or line with parchment paper.
- Heat a skillet over low heat and add butter. Allow the butter to melt.
- Add diced apples.
- Cook the apples down, stirring frequently until they start becoming translucent.
- Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until coated with butter and the sugar starts to caramelize and completely melted.
- Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Mix well.
- Beat in sourdough starter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- On slow speed, add in the flour mixture to the sourdough starter mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Slowly add in the slightly cooled caramel apple mixture into the batter. I like to do this with the stand mixer on low gently pouring the apples in a little bit at a time.
- Mix together until combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes until it starts to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If it is getting too brown but has not baked all the way through yet, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Allow to cool before cutting into it.
Notes
- Any kind of apple should work. The best apples tend to be ones that are good for pie making. Firm, slightly more tart like granny smith apples. Honestly, I have zero idea what types of apples we have and any of them would work fine in this.
- Substitute the cinnamon for pumpkin spice for an even more flavorful bread.
- If the bread is starting to brown too much before being completely baked through, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Make this recipe vegan by substituting the butter for vegan butter.
- While technically this recipe can be made without special equipment, a stand mixer makes the process way easier.
This is delicious and easy!
Yay! Love to hear that!!
I’m doing the long version. Should I still add a bit of water ? What would yo y say the consistency should be like before adding all the other ingredients?
My dough didn’t come together it’s really dry it didn’t turn into a. Ball as I was mixing it rather small little balls. Any tips?
Oh no! Were you doing the long fermented version or the quick version. If you were doing the long fermented version, the dough is pretty dry before adding the eggs. It shouldn’t have been dry if it was everything mixed together. My only thought could be the hydration of our starters could be different. You could always add a touch of milk or water until a batter forms.
We loved this recipe. I liked that it was long fermented. It was very delicious.!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe.
I made this a couple days ago and I absolutely love it! Mine did come out with a lighter color, not sure why. I did add more apples than 2 cups called for. It was great warm out of the oven and later lightly toasted with a little butter. I love finding long fermented recipes like this. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I may have over baked the recipe on picture day which is why it’s a little dark. 🤪😂