Sourdough Apple Bread (Your Next Autumn Recipe)

Last updated on October 22nd, 2025

Every fall I find myself reaching for the same combination: my bubbly starter and whatever apples are sitting in the fruit bowl. This bread has become my September-through-November staple, the thing I make when I want my kitchen to smell like a cozy cafe and my breakfast table to feel a little special.

This sourdough apple bread isn’t quite a traditional loaf and isn’t quite a quick bread either. It lives in this wonderful middle ground where you get the complex flavor of wild yeast fermentation along with the comforting sweetness of baked apples. The round shape and apple layers make it look more like a cake than bread, which means it works just as well for dessert as it does for breakfast.

Table of Contents

• What We Have Today
• Why This Recipe Works
• About the Apples
• The Recipe
  • Ingredients
    • For the dough
    • For the filling
    • For finishing
• Making the Bread
  • Morning: Mix the dough
  • Daytime: Stretch and fold
  • Prepare the apples
  • Evening: Shape and layer
  • Next morning: Bake
• Timeline at a Glance
• What You'll Get
• What You Might Struggle With
• Don't be Afraid to Customize
• Autumn Vibes in Your Loaf

What We Have Today

The apple bread we have today uses wild yeast fermentation to create a semi-sweet round loaf with layered apple slices baked inside.

Yield: One 9-inch round cake-like bread (10-12 slices)

Dough:

• 500g flour (350g bread + 150g AP)
• 100g active starter
• 375g milk
• 2 eggs
• 75g butter
• 50g sugar

Apples:

• 3 medium (450g), sliced ⅛-inch thin, arranged in concentric circles

Hydration: 75% enriched dough for tender, cake-like crumb

Best varieties: Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for structure

Active time: 40 minutes (mixing, folding, layering)

Total time: 18 hours (6-8 hour bulk fermentation + 8-10 hour cold proof)

Baking: 50 minutes at 375°F in springform pan until 200°F internal temp

Why This Recipe Works

The wonderfulness here comes from building layers. You’re pressing thin apple slices into the dough in circles, which means when you cut into the finished bread, every slice reveals a spiral of fruit running through it. The apples soften during baking but hold their shape enough to create distinct ribbons of flavor.

I use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour with added butter and eggs to create a richer, more tender crumb. This enriched dough gives you something closer to brioche texture than crusty artisan bread. The extra fat also helps the bread stay soft for days, and the eggs provide structure that supports all those apple slices without turning dense.

The hydration level sits at about 75%, which is higher than standard fruit breads but manageable because of the eggs and butter. This wetter dough bakes up soft and almost fluffy, with enough moisture to complement the apples without getting gummy.

About the Apples

Pick apples that hold their shape when baked but have enough moisture to stay tender.

I usually go with Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. You want something with enough acidity to complement the sourdough tang, but sweet enough that you’re not adding cups of sugar to compensate.

Avoid Red Delicious or McIntosh! They’ll turn to mush and create wet spots in your bread.

Slice the apples thin, about ⅛ inch thick. You can use a mandoline if you have one, or just take your time with a sharp knife. The thinner slices bake through completely and create better layers.

I leave the peel on because it adds color and holds the slices together, but you can peel them if you prefer.

Apple Variety	Texture After Baking	Best For
Granny Smith	Firm, holds shape	Maximum tang
Honeycrisp	Tender but intact	Balanced sweetness
Braeburn	Firm with sweet notes	Aromatic loaves
Fuji	Soft, very sweet	Less tangy versions

The Recipe

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Bulk Fermentation: 6-8 hours
Proofing: 8-10 hours (overnight in fridge)
Baking Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: ~18 hours
Yield: 1 round loaf (10-12 slices)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 350g bread flour
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 375g whole milk (room temperature)
• 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 75g unsalted butter (softened)
• 50g granulated sugar
• 10g salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling

• 3 medium apples (about 450g), sliced ⅛-inch thin
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For finishing

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting

Making the Bread

Morning: Mix the dough

Combine the flours and milk in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains, then let it rest for 30 minutes. This autolyse period helps develop gluten before you add the starter.

Add the starter, eggs, softened butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly using your hands or a stand mixer with the dough hook on low speed for about 8 minutes. The dough will be quite soft and slightly sticky. This is normal for enriched dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Daytime: Stretch and fold

Over the next 4 hours, perform four sets of stretch and folds, spaced one hour apart. For each set, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you’ve gone around all four sides. The dough will become smoother and more elastic with each round.

After the fourth stretch and fold, let the dough rise undisturbed for another 2-4 hours, until it’s puffy and has increased in size by about 50%. The timing depends on your kitchen temperature. In my 72°F kitchen, this usually takes 3 hours.

Prepare the apples

While the dough is doing its final rise, prepare your apples. Slice them thinly and toss with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. The lemon juice prevents browning and adds brightness. Let them sit for 15 minutes, then drain off any excess liquid.

Evening: Shape and layer

Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Turn half of the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently press it into a rough circle. Place this in the bottom of your prepared pan, stretching it to cover the base and about an inch up the sides.

Arrange half of the apple slices in concentric circles on top of the dough, starting from the outside and working your way to the center. Overlap them slightly so there are no gaps.

Gently stretch the remaining dough into another circle and drape it over the apples. Press the edges together to seal. Arrange the remaining apple slices on top in the same circular pattern. Press them gently into the dough so they’re somewhat embedded.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, anywhere from 8 to 10 hours.

Next morning: Bake

Take the pan out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 375°F. This takes about 45 minutes. The dough should look slightly puffy.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 200°F. If the top starts browning too quickly after 30 minutes, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and release the springform. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 45 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.

Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the top generously with powdered sugar. The sugar will stick to the apple slices and create a nice contrast against the golden bread.

Timeline at a Glance

Time	Step
8:00 AM	Mix dough, autolyse
9:00 AM	Add starter, eggs, butter
9:30 AM – 1:30 PM	Stretch and folds (4 sets)
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM	Bulk fermentation
4:30 PM	Prepare apples, layer and shape
5:00 PM	Refrigerate overnight
8:00 AM (next day)	Remove from fridge, preheat oven
8:45 AM	Bake
9:40 AM	Cool and dust with sugar

What You’ll Get

This bread has a tender, soft crumb similar to brioche or babka. Not the big open holes you see in rustic sourdough, but a tight, even texture that makes it great for slicing. The crust comes out golden and slightly crisp, but softens as it cools. The powdered sugar on top adds sweetness and makes it look bakery-ready.

The flavor is mildly sweet with that characteristic sourdough tang cutting through. The cinnamon comes across as background warmth rather than an aggressive spice bomb. When you slice into the bread, you’ll see circles of apple running through each piece, soft and caramelized at the edges.

I eat this for breakfast with coffee, but it also works as an afternoon snack or a casual dessert. It keeps well at room temperature for four days wrapped in plastic wrap, or you can slice and freeze it for up to two months.

What You Might Struggle With

• If your dough seems too wet after mixing, resist adding extra flour. Enriched doughs are always softer than lean doughs, and the butter makes everything feel wetter at first. After the stretch and folds, it will firm up considerably.
• A dense, gummy crumb usually means you didn’t let the dough ferment long enough, or you cut into the bread too early. Make sure the dough doubles during bulk fermentation, and let it cool for at least 45 minutes after baking.
• If your bread comes out flat, your starter might not have been active enough, or you may have overproofed the dough in the fridge. Make sure your starter doubles within 4-6 hours of feeding before you use it. Also check that your fridge isn’t too cold. Below 38°F can stall fermentation completely.
• If the apples release too much liquid and make wet spots, you probably didn’t drain them well enough after tossing with sugar. Next time, let them sit longer and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands before layering.

Don’t be Afraid to Customize

• You can swap the apples for pears using the same ratio and slicing method.
• Fresh cranberries work too. Scatter about 100g of whole berries between the apple layers and increase the sugar slightly to balance their tartness.
• For a richer version, add 50g of chopped walnuts or pecans scattered between the apple layers. The nuts toast slightly during baking and add crunch.
• Some people like to brush the top with an egg wash before baking for an extra glossy finish. Mix one egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk and brush it gently over the exposed apples right before the pan goes in the oven.
• You could also drizzle the cooled bread with a simple glaze instead of powdered sugar: mix 100g powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk or apple cider until smooth and pour it over the top in a zigzag pattern.

Autumn Vibes in Your Loaf

This bread doesn’t demand much from you except time and a decent sourdough starter. The techniques are straightforward, the ingredient list is simple, and the result is something that feels both wholesome and a little indulgent.

Give it a try this weekend when you have apples to use up and a day at home to check in on your dough between episodes of whatever you’re binge-watching.

Print