The days are becoming shorter as the colder nights creep in.
As the leaves keep falling...Although I miss those sizzling hot summery days, it is kind of strange that I'm feeling good with the arriving winter chills. Perhaps Melbourne summer had been warm enough and adequately extended this year and I'm all ready now to embrace the cold with lots of comfort baking.
To kick start my Autumn baking, I have created and baked these extremely SOFT APPLE sandwich breads that are maximally loaded with apples...
Extremely Soft and Moist Apple Honey Sandwich Bread... because it is maximally loaded with apple!!!
I'm impressed!
These very-apple-loaded sandwich breads including their crusts are EXTREMELY soft!
I remember! Slicing these soft and tender breads is exactly like handling the Extremely Soft and Fragile Milk Sandwich Breads at here! It can be challenging and frustrating!!!
However, unlike the the Extremely Soft and Fragile Milk Sandwich Breads at here, this bread dough is actually easy and not-so-sticky to handle.
I have anything to complain about these soft applicious breads but the only critical thing that the fussy me would pointed out is that the crusts are so soft that the breads will shrink and collapse a little after cooling. Blame me! All because the ambitious me have loaded these breads with the maximum amount of apple purée! LOL!
These extremely soft breads are so soft that they will shrink and collapse a little after cooling!!!
Another soft sandwich breads that are difficult to slice! ... but that's ok for me!
... because these breads are not just soft or super soft. They are EXTREMELY SOFT!!!
They are also DELICIOUSLY SOFT with nice apple and honey fragrance!
Watch my video and be impress with the softness of these very apple breads!
Due to the softness of these breads, the foodie-side of me would say that I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this recipe but the perfectionist-side of me would say that these extremely breads need to shrink less! Hmmm...
If you are after super soft apple honey sandwich breads that won't shrink, please stay tune because I will share another recipe soon!
Another recipe? You might ask... Why this recipe if there is another recipe that makes super soft non-shrinking apple honey sandwich breads? Well, you see... This recipe is maximally loaded with apple (360g for two loaves) and has less bread flour or gluten. So this is why the bread dough has enough body and volume to rise up to its maximum height but doesn't have enough gluten strength to hold its spongy air pockets after cooling.
Unlike this recipe, the other recipe contains more bread flour and less apple (only 200g for two loaves - 55% of the maximal amount) so that the apple-loaded breads are well-balanced enough to hold their spongy structure well after cooling. This more-apple recipe or the other less-apple non-shrinking recipe? Which one to bake? I will share both recipes but you have to decide! LOL!
Like my recipes? I will share MORE recipes in the future!
However, I'm a busy working mom that needs your support to keep my blog going... Hence, it will be nice if you can LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW me my Facebook at here or here or my Instagram @zoebakeforhappykids because every LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW from you will motivate me! Thank you!!!
Here's the recipe.
WARNING: This bread dough is fully loaded with many moist ingredients and can be sticky and difficult to knead initially. It will be good if you can a breadmaker or an electric mixer with hook attachment for kneading.
TIP: Baking these breads in Pullman loaf pans with lids make their outer crust softer than the ones baked without cover lids. On the other hand, the breads that are baked without the lids will shrink lesser but a little less softer (still super soft!) because the more-baked crusts make the breads slightly firmer. What to do? Should you bake with lids or not? You decide!
Makes two 10 x 10 x 20 cm loaves, 450g each
You can use half of the recipe to make one loaf of bread.
360g unsweetened steamed-cooked apple purée or applesauce
50g honey
600g extra strong bread flour with 14% protein*
40g milk powder - please do not replace this and water with milk
4g salt
60g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature
2 tsp dried yeast
*IMPORTANT: These breads are VERY soft and fragile that they will shrink and collapse a little after cooling. Hence, if you are using bread flour with lesser than 14% protein, your breads with less gluten strength will collapse even more. If extra strong bread flour with 14% protein is not available, please use 585g bread flour with 12% protein plus 15g gluten flour.
vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray to grease loaf pans and their lids
extra flour for dusting and shaping but please use the minimal amount
Place all the ingredients in a breadmaker according to the order of the above list. Use the dough setting to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and allow the dough to prove for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
If you are using an electric mixer with an hook attachment to knead, combine all ingredients except butter in the mixing bowl and mix at low speed until a soft dough forms. Knead in the butter until incorporated. Continue to knead at low speed for at least 25 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It is important that the dough has to be elastic and stretchy. Cover the dough and allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for about 60 mins or until doubled in size.
Grease loaf pans and their lids with oil or cooking oil spray.
To shape, divide dough into 6 portions (about 205g each) and shape all into smooth balls. Allow them to rest at room temperature for about 10 mins.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each portion into long and flat oval shape (about 20 cm) on a lightly floured non-stick surface. Use your fingers to pick one shorter side of the dough and tuck and roll the dough like a Swiss roll. Use the rolling pin to flatten and roll the dough into a long rod shape. Then, pick one shorter side of the dough and roll it like a Swiss roll again. Repeat this rolling step with the remaining portions of dough.
Place three of the shaped dough with their seams side down into the each prepared pan. Press the top of the dough lightly to form an even surface. Allow the loaves to prove for another 1 hr or until the dough is going to reach the maximum height of the loaf pans. Cover loaf pans with their lids.
Preheat oven at 180°C. Bake at 180°C for 25 mins or until thoroughly baked. If your breads are not covered with the loaf pan lids and the top of the breads are becoming brown too quickly, cover the breads very loosely with aluminum foil at the last 10 mins of bake and continue to bake until thoroughly baked.
When the bread is removed from the oven, remove the lids and unmould the bread immediately. Transfer bread on a wire rack to cool it completely.
Slice and serve.
WARNING: Breads are very soft and fragile to slice. It needs to be completely cooled before slicing and please use a serrated knife to slice.
Happy Baking
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