Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 2/3 cups water
  • 3 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 tbl. maple syrup

Instruction

  • In a large bowl, stir together the ingredients for the bread. The dough will be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 12-18 hours at room temperature. The surface will have a few bubbles on it when the dough is done rising. A rise time anywhere between 12 and 18 hours will work fine as long as it's at a comfortable room temperature of 68 to 72 degrees.
  • After the dough rises, flour a work surface and quickly form two evenly-sized balls of dough.
  • Place the dough on a floured dish towel that isn't fuzzy and cover with a second similar dish towel. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours, until nearly double in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a large covered baking dish (e.g. ceramic, Le Creuset) in the oven while it preheats.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the filling ingredients.
  • After the two-hour rise mentioned in step 3, carefully place one ball of dough in the hot baking dish. Put the apple filling on top of the ball, leaving a 1/2-inch circumference of dough without any apple filling. Then stretch out the second ball of dough a bit and place it on top of the first, lightly pinching around the edges to seal in the apple filling.
  • Bake the bread in the covered pan for 25-30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes. The bread is done when it is nicely browned and it sounds hollow when you tap it.
  • Cool completely before cutting.