Ingredients
Scale
Sourdough Base:
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (or discard – see notes below)
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- ⅓ cup milk (or buttermilk for extra tang)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Mixture:
- 1-2 large apples, diced
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Your Workspace: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- Prepare the Apples: Peel and dice apples into ¼-inch cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Set aside to macerate while preparing batter.
- Mix Ingredients: Whisk dry ingredients (flour, remaining cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine room-temperature sourdough starter, beaten eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Create well in dry ingredients and pour in sourdough mixture. Mix just until combined – batter should look slightly lumpy.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour half the batter into pan, add half the apple mixture, then remaining batter and apples. Bake 60-75 minutes until toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs. Cool in pan 15 minutes before turning out. Slice when completely cool for clean cuts.
Notes
Best Apple Varieties:
- Granny Smith – firm texture prevents mushiness during baking while tartness contrasts beautifully with sweet cinnamon and enhances sourdough’s tang
- Honeycrisp – exceptional crunch that softens perfectly with natural sweetness balancing sourdough’s acidity
- Braeburn – complex, spicy notes that complement both cinnamon and sourdough perfectly