This lightly sweetened, soft bread is full of cinnamon coated apples chunks, a delicious sweet-tart crab apple sauce, and toasted walnuts.
Servings: 8servings
Calories:
Author: Natasha Minocha
Ingredients
1 - 1.5cupsWholewheat flour
1 -1.5cupsAll purpose flour
2tspDry active Yeast
1/2tspsalt
2tbspCoconut oil/ Butter
1cupLight coconut milkYou can use any milk of your choice.
2tbspsugarYou can use coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup.
Filling
2tbspCoconut oil/ melted butter
1/3cupCrab apple sauce *You can use any apple sauce or leave it out altogether
1largeApple, peeled and diced into small pieces
1/4cupWalnuts, chopped
3tbspbrown sugar
1.5tspcinnamon powder
Instructions
Bread
Gently heat coconut oil, milk and sugar in a small saucepan till the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Let it cool till it's almost at room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine both flours ( start with 1 cup each), yeast, and salt. Make well in the center of the mixture.
Pour the cooled liquid mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or a fork till a rough dough is formed.
Take this out on a well-floured surface and knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough seems too sticky.
Use the heels of your hands to push the dough away from you and then bring it back, folding it over. Push it out again, every time stretching the dough to develop the gluten strands. Turn the dough to 45 degrees and continue the same way.
The dough should feel soft and supple and just a tad sticky. Lightly cover the dough with tea towel and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Filling
Once the dough has rested. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle. Brush the coconut oil or melted butter on the surface. Evenly spoon on the apple sauce and apple and walnut pieces. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the topping.
From the long side, roll up the dough tightly. Using a sharp knife, cut it in half lengthways. Do leave top 2" uncut. This will help hold the braid together.
Twist one half over the other like you're making a braid. Make sure the filling side is facing the top.
Bring the top and bottom of the braid together like a wreath. Let this rest for 20-25 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel, in a draft-free place, until the dough doubles.
Preheat your oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Carefully lift the bread and place it on the tray. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
* Here's the recipe for making apple sauce -
Peel and dice 500 gms of apples.
Place in a saucepan with about 100 gms of sugar and a small stick of cinnamon. You may need more or less depending on how sweet or tart your apples are. I prefer not adding any sugar at all. But these crab apples were too tart and needed the sweetness.
Add 1/4 cup water and cook the apple and sugar on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, till the apples are cooked through and very soft.
Take it off the heat. you can mash these with a fork or if you want a smoother consistency, puree in your blender.