BOTD: Cinnamon Apple Bread

Every once in a while, I come up with an idea that works even better than I expect. This was one.

When I opened the oven door, it smelled like an apple pie was baking. The finished bread has a subtle apple flavor; some people noticed it, and others just tasted the cinnamon. It's a very soft, fluffy bread, and not overly sweet, just how I like it.

I used homemade applesauce, because I had it, but commercial applesauce would be fine. I'd suggest going with an unsweetened sauce.

This bread is great plain, with butter, or toasted. It would probably make an interesting French toast.

Cinnamon Apple Bread

3/4 cups lukewarm whey (water is fine; I usually have whey on hand so I use it)
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (1 package)
1 tablespoon honey crystals (sugar is fine)
1 large egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter at room temp
1/2 cup semolina flour
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
extra cinnamon and sugar for swirl (optional)

Mix whey (or water), yeast, and honey crystals (or sugar) in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside until bubbly, about ten minutes.

Add egg, applesauce, butter and semolina, whisk together, cover the bowl and set aside for 20-30 minutes, until it's all bubbly. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer add about 1 1/2 cups of the bread flour, salt, and cinnimon. Knead with the dough hook, adding extra flour as needed. The dough should be soft and easily kneadable, but not loose or sticky.

Keep kneading until the dough is very elastic and shiny.

Form the dough into a ball. Put it back into the bowl (or another clean bowl) and drizzle it with a little oil to coat it. Cover the bowl with plastic and set aside until the dough had doubled in size. Gently deflate it, re-form it into a nice ball, and let it rise again.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle a little cornmeal into the bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan.

When the dough has doubled again, take it out of the bowl and gently stretch is to about 9 x 12 inches. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and sugar (as much as you want). I had a bit of leftover cinnamon left in a big jar, so I used it up. I used vanilla sugar, but plain sugar would be fine. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, pinch the seam and ends to seal, and place it, seam-side down, in the prepared loaf pan. Let it rise until it's about the height of the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees until it's golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped - about 40 minutes.

Note: you can skip the second rise and form it right after the first rise.