APPLE CINNAMON MORNING BREAD

makes one 9” loaf
from Leslie Mackie
for the Dough-
½ cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons dried yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup barley flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
seeds scraped from ¼ vanilla bean

In a small saucepan, warm the milk slightly then pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top of the milk, mixing with a whisk to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes allowing the yeast to bloom. Add the eggs, flour, barley flour, salt, melted butter, and vanilla bean seeds to the yeast mixture. Place the dough hook attachment on the mixer. Mix on low speed to combine ingredients, then increase speed to medium and mix for approximately ten minutes until the dough becomes satiny and stretches easily. Transfer the dough to an oiled, medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

for the Apple Butter- (this makes a little more than you will need; measure out ¾ cup of cooled/strained apple butter to assemble the bread. Serve any extra alongside.)

2 large Granny Smith apples, rinsed, peeled, cored, cut into ½“ pieces (2 cups)
⅓ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
seeds scraped from ¼ vanilla bean
zest of 1 small lemon
pinch of salt

Place the apples, sugar, butter, vanilla seeds, lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 25-30 minutes, until the apples soften and the mixture begins to caramelize.  Remove from heat, mash with a fork and let cool completely. Transfer the apple butter to a fine mesh strainer to remove excess liquid which you don’t want when rolling up the bread.
 
for the Spiced Sugar-

¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together to combine.

​To assemble the bread-
Prepare egg wash from 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
 
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9”x 5”x 2½“ loaf pan, then line with parchment paper and butter again.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Transfer the dough from the bowl to a floured work surface, flattening the dough with your hands. Dust your fingers with flour and shape the dough into a rectangle, measuring roughly 6” x 14” x ¼“ thick. Spread ¾ cup of the apple butter (it is a thin layer) over the dough. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the spiced sugar to sprinkle over the completed bread. Sprinkle the remaining spiced sugar evenly over the apple butter. Roll each of the 6” sides inwards until they meet in the center. Gently pinch the seam together. Carefully turn the loaf over so the smooth side is on the top and place the bread in the loaf pan, seam side down. Cover the bread with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm room for 1 hour, until the dough fills approximately ¾ of the pan.
 
Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with the reserved spiced sugar. Place the bread on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown (the internal temperature measured with my instant-read thermometer registered 195 degrees.) Let the bread cool for 15 minutes. Use a small offset spatula to loosen the bread from the pan, carefully transferring the bread to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with additional apple butter. Any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for 2 days; they also makes sensational French toast.