Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe From Scratch

Make the Bread Dough

Mix together 1 cup of the flour, the white granulated sugar, the dry active yeast and the sea salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.

Measure out the water, buttermilk and butter into a medium saucepan. Gently heat over low until warm, around 125°F.

Once heated, gradually added the warmed liquid to the mixing bowl with the flour mixture.

Beat the dry and liquid ingredients together on medium speed until they are thoroughly combined, scraping the mixing bowl as needed.

Add the eggs called for in the bread dough recipe, along with 1½ cups flour. Mix to combine.

Stir in enough of the remaining flour to achieve a soft dough.

Turn the bread dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for the dough for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Cover the dough and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Mix the Apple Bread Filling

Mix the ingredients to make both the apple filling and the crumb filling while the bread dough rests.

To make the apple filling, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Add the diced apples to the lemon juice and stir. Then toss the apple and lemon juice mixture with the sugar and cinnamon until well-coated. Set aside.

For the crumb filling, combine the flour, brown sugar, maple extract and butter in a medium bowl. Cut the ingredients together using a pastry blender until crumbly, adding additional flour as needed until mixture crumbles. Set aside.

Fill the Bread with Apple and Crumb Filling

Once the bread dough has rested, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out each half of the bread dough onto a silicone mat using a rolling pin. Roll each section flat into 12×14 inch rectangles.

Remove the bread dough from the silicone mat and transfer to the parchment lined baking sheets.

Spoon half of the apple filling down center of one of the bread dough rectangles. You’ll want approximately a 3-inch strip of filling along the dough.

Then sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar cheese over the apples.

Follow with half of the crumb filling.

Repeat the same process for the other half of bread dough you prepared.

How to Braid the Bread Dough

To braid the bread dough, start at one long end of the dough and make knife cuts approximately 3-inch long and 1-inch wide down length of dough rectangle. Repeat the process on the other side.

Fold the strips across to center of dough, alternating sides as you go.

Repeat process for other bread loaf.

Cover braided bread dough. Allow the dough to set and let rise for one hour.

Brush the Dough with an Egg Wash

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

While the oven preheats, prepare the egg wash by mixing the water into the egg white until combined.

Brush the egg white mixture across the tops of each bread dough loaf using a pastry brush.

Bake the Apple Cinnamon Bread

Bake the apple cinnamon bread in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove the baked bread from the oven and transfer the bread onto wire cooling racks to cool.

Top with Icing

Combine the powdered sugar, milk, butter and maple extract using a fork or a whisk to make the icing. Mix until the icing is smooth.

Drizzle the icing across the tops of the cooled bread loaves using a fork.

Allow the icing to set up, then cut the bread and enjoy!