Caramel Apple Sourdough Bread

This has become one of my favorite bread recipes, and it’s honestly not super complicated. It requires a little extra mixing to get the caramel and apple incorporated, but otherwise you can treat it like any other sourdough loaf. Full recipe & video tutorial below!

caramel apple sourdough bread

Bread

Yield: 2-4 loaves

Author: Michelle White

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Caramel Apple Sourdough Bread

Prep time: 1 H & 15 MCook time: 41 MinInactive time: 13 HourTotal time: 14 H & 56 M

This Apple cinnamon sourdough bread has gooey caramel swirled throughout.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1000 grams of flour (if you mill your own flour, weigh out 1000 grams of wheat berries before you mill them)
• 700 grams of room temperature apple cider (or apple juice)
• 200 grams of active sourdough starter
• 80 grams of honey
• 20 grams of salt
• 2 apples, peeled & shredded
• 1 1/2 cups of soft caramel candy
• cinnamon sugar to dust the top of the loaves (optional)

Instructions

The Part Where You Make the Bread

1. Add the room temperature apple cider to the flour & mix until all the flour is incorporated. Cover & let rest at room temp for about an hour.
2. Add sourdough starter, honey & salt to the dough and mix everything together until it’s all well combined. Cover the dough & let it rest in a warm place for an hour.
3. Add in all the grated apple and 1/2 the caramel candy then do 10 full minutes of stretch & folds (or coil folds). Most of the apple and caramel will get mixed in during these stretch & folds. Leave whatever does not get mixed in in the bowl. Cover & rest 30 minutes).
4. Do 2 minutes of stretch & folds mixing in any remaining apple or caramel. Discard any apple that isn’t mixed in, but set aside any unmixed caramel. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
5. Do 2 more minutes of stretch & folds then cover & rest 30 minutes.
6. Do one last set of stretch & folds for 2 minutes then cover & rest for 2 hours (or until you see bubbles forming in the dough).
7. Turn the dough out on a floured surface & divide into 2 halves or 4 quarters (I will provide cooking times for both sizes).
8. Gently shape each piece of dough into a rectangle and layer the remaining caramel candy on the top of each piece. Feel free to use extra caramel if needed. (Do not get creative add any of the extra apple here. It will get watery & flush out the caramel and you’ll end up with a caramel crusted burnt loaf bottom. Ask me how I know.)
9. Form each piece into a boule as usual. Lightly flour each banneton and, if you want, dust each banneton with cinnamon sugar. (I use 2 tsp cinnamon sugar for the large loaves & 1tsp for the smaller loaves).
10. Flip each boule into a banneton and cover and let them proof in a warm spot for 1-2 hours or until they have risen about an inch then place them in the fridge over night.
11. Preheat a Dutch oven to 475°.
12. Once the Dutch oven is heated, remove one boule from the fridge and place it on a bread sling or parchment paper. Score as desired. This dough needs to be baked cold, so don’t take it out of the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Bake each loaf 1 at a time.
13. Place the dough in the preheated Dutch oven and cover with the lid.
14. For 2 large loaves: Bake at 475° for 23 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid & bake uncovered at 450° for 18 minutes.
15. For 4 small loaves: Bake at 475° for 18 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid & bake uncovered at 450° for 13 minutes.
16. Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and cool on a wire rack. Wait at least at least 2 hours before slicing.

https://www.michelleslane.com/blog/caramel-apple-sourdough