Braided Apple Danish Loaf
Photo by Liz Andrew
MAKES
One large loaf
TAKES
Prep time: 13 hours (includes overnight chill)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total: 13 hours 45 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Loaded with sweet, spiced apples, this gorgeous loaf has a soft, fluffy interior crumb. The dough is easy to handle, so it makes a great candidate for this braiding technique - which doesn’t require advanced skill. It’s a lovely treat to bake in the fall for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. A truly fun fall bake: it looks incredible, and tastes even better.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
227 g / 1 cup whole milk
57 g / ¼ cup water
510 g / 4 ¼ cups bread flour
9 g / 1 tablespoon yeast
6 g / 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
99 g / ½ cup sugar
114 g / 2 large eggs
113 g / 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened butter
Filling
800 g / 4 medium granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
10 g / 2 teaspoons lemon juice
5 g / 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
107 g / ½ cup brown sugar
6 g / 2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
apricot jam or jelly, as needed for glazing
Practice Makes Pie-fect:
METHOD
1. Make the Dough: Warm the milk and water over medium heat until lukewarm to the touch (about 90°-95°F / 32-35°C). In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour with the yeast to combine.
2. Add the salt, sugar, eggs and the warm milk mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together, 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough is smooth, 3 minutes more.
3. Add 14 g / 1 tablespoon of the butter and mix until it is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Continue adding the butter gradually, 14 g / 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the butter is added. The dough should be smooth, though it will be very sticky.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight.
5. An hour before you’re ready to bake the bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature.
6. Make the Filling: by mixing the apples with the lemon juice, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to combine.
7. To braid the bread, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a ¾ inch / 2 cm thick rectangle. Mound the apple filling in a line down the center of the dough, working from top to bottom.
8. Using a knife, cut ½ inch / 1 cm strips horizontally along both sides of the dough toward the filling (you should have about 18 to 20 strips on each side; these will be your braiding strands). Fold one of the strips of dough in toward the center, then repeat on the opposite side, crossing the strips in the center to make an X (see Notes below). Repeat all the way down the loaf.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C. Transfer the loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it rise while the oven preheats. Bake the loaf until the surface is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Brush the finished loaf with apricot jam. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
NOTES
The shaping method for this bread is easy, but a visual can really help! Check out the drawing below for guidance on the shaping technique described in Step 8:
Illustration: Jason Needham (my super talented brother!)
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
