Buying or making the same loaf day in, day out can be a bit of a bore.
Sometimes it is nice to bring the wow factor to your bread and make what could have been a humble every day loaf into a treat everyone wants again and again!
Did I mention it’s not even hard work?
How can you say no?!
This rustic style apple bread will pair beautifully with cheese and eating apples and would make a beautiful, impressive, and don’t forget delicious, center piece to a lovely cheese board if you’re having on this year!
It’s also amazing as is with a glass of apple juice on the side!
Pepper’s Rustic Apple Loaf
Serves Approx 6
Ingredients
600g plain white flour
1 teaspoons fine salt
15g dry active yeast
150ml apple juice
200ml warm water
75g Bramley cooking apple grated coarsely (about a quarter)
Butter for greasing
Extra flour for kneading
Method
Measure the flour, salt and yeast into a large bowl.
Pour in the apple juice, warm water and lastly the grated apple.
Stir together until a dough forms, add more water if needed but do not knead yet!
Place it in a warm place to rise for 60 minutes.
Now, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface by dragging your knuckles away from you, stretching the dough outwards, then folding it back into the dough, turning the dough and repeating until smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes.
Grease a baking tray with butter (don’t use oil!), then shape your loaf into a round, placing it gently on the tray.
Cover the dough on the tray with a large upturned bowl and place it in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Slash the top of the loaf with something very sharp in any pattern you like and leave to rise for an additional 15 minutes or until fully doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220oc, then reduce it to 180oc and add in the bread for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when the bread is tapped on it’s bottom.
Cool on a rack for at least an hour preferable longer, then serve!
