Apple Strudel Bread

Our second recipe challenge for the HBin5 bread baking group is the recipe for Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. With the dough from this recipe, we were invited to make three things - an Apple Strudel Bread, Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns, and a loaf of Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread.

Here is a wonderful You Tube of Zoe and Jeff sharing the Master Recipe and technique from their book.

The Apple Strudel Bread piqued my interest immediately. Apples, walnuts and cinnamon and sugar all wrapped up in soft whole wheat bread? I had to try this one first! Please see *My Notes below.

This particular batch of dough turned out beautifully. I prepared the dough on Thursday and, after the initial rise, allowed it to rest in the refrigerator until Saturday morning when I started baking my first recipe.

The dough rolled out very easily with a dusting of flour on my work surface and also on my silicone rolling pin.

The chopped apples, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon are then spread over the rolled-out dough.

All rolled up and ready to place inside my Le Creuset loaf pan which I sprayed with Canola oil spray. I love how bread releases from this pan.

The dough rests for 90 minutes to warm and rise and is then brushed with an egg wash and more sugar and cinnamon is sprinkled on top and into the oven it goes.

My filing turned out slightly off-center but taste more than made up for that! It was delicious still slightly warm.

And just as delicious toasted the next morning. I'll be sharing photos of the hamburger buns and the whole wheat sandwich loaf tomorrow!

Soft Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

From Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Note: You can use any favorite bread dough for this recipe such as this one or you could buy frozen light whole wheat bread dough.  Simple prepare the apple filling below and bake according to your bread recipe's directions. 

-For the Apple Strudel Bread, I substituted dried cherries for raisin and also, I used brown sugar instead of raw sugar in the recipe.

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup honey

5 large eggs

2/3 cup neutral-flavored oil or unsalted butter, melted

For the Apple Strudel Bread:

2 medium apples, skin on, sliced thin and then chopped.
1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries (optional)*
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)*
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for the top of the loaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Egg wash for brushing on top (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

Directions

Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container (I buy large, plastic paint tubs with lids from my hardware store).

Combine the liquid ingredients and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a strong spoon.

Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, but is easier to work with when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.

On baking day, lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape in into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

Elongate the ball into an oval and roll out into a rectangle.  Place chopped apples, walnuts and raisins or dried cherries over the rectangle, leaving about 1" free on the edges. Roll the dough into a log starting from the short side and place into the the prepared loaf pan. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the loaf to rest for 90 minutes (40 if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the over to 350*F.  Brush the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool before slicing.

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