Just Can't Get Enough: Cinnamon Apple Twist Bread

I had some leftover Stayman Winesap apples after making a Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Galette, so I looked for another apple recipe to use them up. Based on the positive reviews and the pretty picture, I decided to try King Arthur Flour's Cinnamon-Apple Twist Bread.

It's easy to make the dough in a stand mixer. I combined all-purpose flour, potato flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt in the mixing bowl; added softened butter, vanilla, an egg, and milk; mixed until a shaggy dough formed; and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Then after ten minutes of kneading with a dough hook, I put the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled.

This recipe can be baked into two loaves or 24 individual rolls. I decide to go halvsies and try both shapes. I divided the risen dough in half. I rolled out each portion into a rectangle, spread over an apple filling (made from grated apple, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and some ground instant tapioca that I substituted for ClearJel), and rolled up the dough with the filling inside. The dough was well behaved and easy to handle. To make individual rolls, you cut the log of rolled up dough into slices. To make a loaf, you cut completely through the log lengthwise (exposing the layers of rolled up apple filling inside), twist the two halves together, and pinch the ends together to form the loaf. Either way, you let the shaped bread rise again before baking.
After the bread was baked and cooled, I drizzled on a glaze made from glazing sugar, vanilla, and water. Glazing sugar is powdered sugar without cornstarch added that is designed to dry firm, fast, and glossy. While you can mix it with cream or milk to make a creamy glaze, I wanted a hard and brittle glaze, so I mixed it with water instead. I thought the glazed loaf looked especially impressive.
I liked this bread a lot. The texture and flavor reminded me of an Entenmann's Danish -- which I mean as a compliment. I did wish there was more apple filling, though. As you can see from the photo above, the ratio of apple to bread is pretty low. This bread was easy to make, tasty, and beautiful. But because I was hoping for a more generous helping of apples and cinnamon, it left me wanting a little more.

Recipe: "Cinnamon Apple Twist Bread" from King Arthur Flour.

Previous Post: "Skillet Avoidance Annoyance: Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread," July 3, 2014.

Comments