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–+ servings
The soft interior of apple sourdough bread.

Apple Butter Sourdough Milk Bread

By: Trang Doan
This apple butter sourdough milk bread is soft, fluffy, with little specks of apple butter throughout. It's slightly sweet with a hint of spice, making this a really good loaf to eat on its own or toasted with a little butter.
Servings : 12 slices
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Prep Time : 22 hours
Cook Time : 27 minutes
Total Time : 22 hours 27 minutes

Equipment

  • Kitchen scale
  • Thermometer
  • Stand Mixer
  • Saucepan
  • Spatulas
  • Bowl scraper
  • 1-pound loaf pan (8.5” x 4.5”)
  • Silicone mat
  • Vinyl gloves

Ingredients 

Apple butter

  • 6 apples cored and diced, about 2 lbs or 900 grams
  • 50 grams brown sugar
  • 1 tsp apple pie spice or cinnamon
  • A large pinch of kosher salt

Apple butter sourdough starter

  • 10 grams active sourdough starter
  • 50 grams apple butter room temp
  • 50 grams flour AP or bread both work

Bread dough

  • 130 grams milk
  • 30 grams brown sugar
  • 55 grams unsalted butter sliced into thin pats
  • 100 grams apple butter
  • 280 grams flour AP or bread both work
  • 6 grams kosher salt
  • All of the apple butter starter
  • Neutral oil for dough handling
  • Extra milk or egg wash

Instructions

Day 1

  • Make apple butter - Toss all the ingredients for apple butter in the slow cooker and cook on low, covered, for 4 - 6 hours until the apple is completely softened. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth. Continue to cook on low, uncovered, for 1.5 - 2 hours longer until the apple butter thickens to your desired consistency and is glossy. Allow to cool.
    6 apples, 50 grams brown sugar, 1 tsp apple pie spice, A large pinch of kosher salt
  • Make apple butter starter - Mix all the ingredients for your apple butter starter together in the evening and it should be ready to use within 12 hours.
    10 grams active sourdough starter, 50 grams apple butter, 50 grams flour

Day 2

  • Prepare the liquid (8 am) - Heat the milk with brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the milk is simmering and the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat, add the sliced butter to the hot milk mixture, and stir until completely melted. Add to a stand mixer bowl and stir in the apple butter. Let it cool.
    130 grams milk, 30 grams brown sugar, 55 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams apple butter
  • “Autolyse” (8:15 am) - Make sure your liquid mixture is between 80 - 90°F (27 - 32°C), add flour and salt to the cooled liquid mixture. Use a spatula to mix until all the liquid is absorbed. Cover and let rest for 15 - 20 minutes.
    280 grams flour, 6 grams kosher salt
  • Knead the dough (8:35 am) - Add all of the apple butter starter to the “autolysed” dough. Knead with the dough hook on speed 2 for 20 minutes.
    All of the apple butter starter
  • Continue bulk fermentation (9 am) - Oil your hands, a bowl scraper, and your clean countertop. You can use gloves and the silicone mat on your surface to further help prevent sticking. Scrape the dough out and shape it into a ball on the oiled surface. Lightly oil the mixing bowl, then return the dough to the bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot. You will perform 2 - 3 sets of stretch and fold at 45-minute intervals. Set a timer for 45 minutes.
    Neutral oil for dough handling
  • Stretch and fold #1 (9:45 am) - With oiled hands, lift the dough from the center. It will stretch as you lift it up and out of the bowl. If it’s sticky, use your bowl scraper to help release it. Stretch the dough into a long strip and fold in thirds like you’re folding a letter. Turn it 90 degrees, stretch it out into a long strip again and fold in thirds. Place it seam-side down back into the mixing bowl, cover, and set the timer for another 45 minutes.
  • Stretch and fold #2 (10:30 am) - Repeat the same process. At minimum, complete 2 sets if short on time.
  • Stretch and fold #3 (11:15 am) - Repeat one final set. The dough should feel stronger and more elastic. It should also have risen a bit. Cover and let it finish bulk fermentation at room temp for another 2 - 3 hours.
  • Divide (2:00 pm) - Using your bowl scraper, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for about 10-15 minutes.
  • Shape (2:15 pm) - Take each dough ball, smooth side down, flatten with your hand or roll into a rectangle, fold into thirds like a letter. Flatten again and allow it to stretch lengthwise, but keep the width slightly narrower than your loaf pan. Roll up into a log and place into the loaf pan. At this point, you can continue proofing the dough and baking immediately (see the timeline in my post) or cover the pan and refrigerate the dough.
  • Proof (11:00 pm) - Take the dough out of the fridge and proof overnight for 7 - 8 hours. I typically use a 15-quart storage bin as my proofing box. The dough is ready when it is very puffy, has risen well above the rim of the loaf pan, and a gentle press leaves an indentation that slowly springs back (but not immediately).

Day 3

  • Preheat the oven (6:30 am) - Toward the end of proofing, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) for at least 30 minutes. If proofing in the oven, remove the dough before preheating.
  • Bake (7:00 am) - Brush the top of the loaf and any exposed sides with extra milk or egg wash. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the internal temperature should reach 190 - 200°F.
    Extra milk or egg wash
  • Cool - Let your bread cool in the pan on a wire rack until just warm to the touch before removing it from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • You can make the apple butter the day before or make it well ahead of time. It will last in the refrigerator for several weeks. This batch of apple butter also makes way more than you’ll need for 1 loaf of bread. I was able to make 3 loaves from 1 batch of apple butter.
  • Rising time and proofing time are highly dependent on temperature. So make sure you watch your dough and not the clock, use my timeline as a general gauge but pay attention to visual cues to ensure you don’t under or over proof your bread.
  • I prefer using oil to prevent dough from sticking to my hand instead of extra flour to avoid adding too much flour to the dough risking a drier loaf.
  • The timeline is a suggestion, feel free to modify it to fit your schedule.
  • STORAGE: this loaf is good at room temp for a day or two but it is best stored in the fridge, it should last a couple of weeks. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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