Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe from Scratch
Learn how to make apple cinnamon bread with apple pie filling and cheddar cheese. This apple bread recipe is as pretty as it is delicious! Follow my step-by-step instructions to bake a braided apple cinnamon bread loaf from scratch.
Apples are most popular in the fall, but this braided apple cinnamon bread recipe is a treat all year long. While it looks beautiful with the braids, it’s actually easier to make than it looks. If you have a lot of apples and are looking for a creative way to use them up, then this recipe is a must!
Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread
This apple cinnamon bread is perfect for breakfast or brunch. It also makes a lovely dessert recipe to enjoy with family and friends. I really enjoy it was a nice, hot cup of coffee.
My apple cinnamon bread is basically cross between an apple pie and an apple bread recipe. It’s made from scratch using yeast. Therefore it has a texture that’s more like a loaf of white bread than that of a quick bread. Unlike a traditional apple bread recipe, where the apple is baked into the bread, my recipe bakes the apple filling inside of the loaf, which is then braided on top.
This apple cinnamon bread loaf looks beautiful thanks to the braiding, but it’s not a difficult recipe. It makes two loaves, so I usually make one and freeze the other one for later.
There are a number of ingredients and steps to complete this recipe. However, I have included detailed instructions on how to make this amazing apple bread from scratch. This ensures you won’t have any issues completing this recipe and end up with a delicious bread that your family will love!
Continue reading to discover how to make the best braided apple cinnamon bread from scratch, learn about the best apples for making apple bread, and learn how to freeze your raw bread loaves to bake later. Plus the timeless debate on whether or not to use cheddar cheese in your apple recipes. (I vote yes!)
The Best Apples for Apple Cinnamon Bread
With so many varieties of apples, it’s important to choose the best one for your apple bread recipe. For best results, use apples that are both sweet and tart. You’ll also want to use an apple that won’t break down when you bake it.
I like to use Granny Smith apples for my apple bread recipes. They are easy to find in the grocery store year round, and I love the tart flavor. Honeycrisp and Fuji apples also have a great flavor and bake well. However, they are a little sweeter than a Granny Smith apples. Gala apples will also work. This type of apple adds a little bit of a vanilla note that tastes great in this apple cinnamon bread loaf.
Should I Use Cheddar Cheese with the Apple Pie Filling?
Adding cheddar cheese to apple pie dates back to the early 1800s, and it’s still a hot topic for debate in the United States. Some people love the way the cheese complements the sweet apples, but others think that a true apple dessert should be able to stand alone without the cheese.
You can use either mild cheddar or sharp cheddar, but sharp cheddar complements the sweetness of the apples better. It makes this apple cinnamon bread recipe taste both sweet and savory, which some people really enjoy.
Of course, you can omit the cheese if you’re not a fan of mixing cheddar and apples.
How to Freeze Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread Loaf
This recipe makes two braided loaves, which is too much for my small family. However, the dough freezes very well. Then I can enjoy this delicious bread later without any extra work.
To freeze this recipe, make both loaves as usual and braid them. After you braid them, wrap one loaf in greased plastic wrap and freeze. Once it’s frozen, place in a zipper freezer bag or wrap in another layer of plastic to freeze it.
Your frozen dough will have to raise a second time before you make it. Take it out of the freezer the night before you want to bake it. Keep it wrapped and let thaw in the fridge overnight. Then place it on a greased baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let it raise on the counter for one hour. Bake as usual.
You can also freeze a cooked apple cinnamon bread loaf, but I have better results when I freeze the dough. The baked bread can get dry after you thaw it.
Can I Freeze Baked Apple Bread?
In addition to freezing your bread dough, you can also freeze the baked bread. I recommend freezing the apple bread in slices, as frozen bread is more difficult to cut. Simply slice the bread, then wrap in plastic food wrap, then foil. Store the bread in the freezer inside a freezer bag for maximum freshness and to prevent freezer burn.
When ready to enjoy your bread, simply defrost the frozen bread at room temperature. You can also use the defrost setting on your microwave to speed up the process, heating the bread just until warm.
Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe
As there are different ingredients and different ingredient amounts required for to make this apple cinnamon bread recipe, I broke down each of them separately. Following are recipes to make the apple filling, the bread dough, the crumb filling and the icing. The instructions then discuss how to mix the ingredients and make the components for each step.
Bread Dough
- 4 Cups flour (plus extra for rolling out dough)
- ⅓ Cup white granulated sugar
- 2 envelopes Red Star active dry yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ Cup water
- ½ Cup buttermilk
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
Apple Filling
- ⅓ Cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cassia cinnamon powder
- 3 cups peeled and diced baking apples
- 1 Tablespoon organic lemon juice
- 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crumb Filling
- ¾ Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon pure maple extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg white, beaten
- 1 Tablespoon water
Homemade Icing
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk or (half and half milk and cream)
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon pure maple extract
How to Make Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread
There are several steps to make homemade apple bread from scratch. These instructions break down each step so there’s no confusion about the process. Be sure to prep any necessary ingredients beforehand. This includes peeling and dicing the apples and shredding the cheese.
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, such as KitchenAid mixer.
Now measure out the water, buttermilk and butter into a medium saucepan. Gently heat over low until warm, around 125°F. (You can use a laser food thermometer to gauge the temperature.)
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.
Once the ingredients are mixed, add the eggs called for in the bread dough recipe, along with 1½ cups flour. Mix to combine.
Finally, stir in enough of the remaining flour to achieve a soft dough for your apple bread.
Turn the bread dough out onto a floured surface. Then knead for the dough for about 8 minutes. The apple bread dough should be smooth and elastic at this point.
Now cover the dough and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Mix the Apple Bread Filling
While the bread dough rests, you will mix the ingredients together to make both the apple filling and the crumb filling.
To make the apple filling for the braided apple bread, combine the white granulated sugar and Cassia cinnamon powder. 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 called for in the recipe in a medium bowl. Cut the ingredients together using either a fork or pastry blender until a crumbly texture is achieved. If the crumb filling is not dry enough to crumble, you can add additional flour, as needed. Once completed, set aside.
Fill the Bread with Apple and Crumb Filling
Once the bread dough has rested for the allotted 15 minutes, you can add the apple and crumb filling to the bread dough.
To start, begin by lining two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Then divide the dough in half. Roll out each half of the bread dough onto a silicone baking mat using a rolling pin. You want to make a flat 12×14 inch rectangle for each half of the dough. Try to keep the sides of the flattened dough as straight as possible when rolling it out flat.
Once you’ve rolled out the bread dough, remove the rectangles and transfer to the parchment lined baking sheets. (Alternately, you can also use baking sheets with silicone mats.)
Now 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.
Next, sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar cheese over the apples, if desired. (If you prefer not to use cheese for your apple bread, you may omit this ingredient entirely.)
Follow with half of the crumb filling, applying it over both the apples and cheese.
Repeat the same process for the other half of bread dough you prepared.
How to Braid the Bread Dough
With the bread dough now filled, you are ready to braid the dough.
Starting at one long end of the dough, make knife cuts approximately 3-inch long and 1-inch wide down length of dough rectangle. Then repeat the process on the other side.
To braid the dough, fold strips across to center of dough, alternating sides as you go.
Then repeat process for other bread loaf.
Now cover braided bread dough. Allow the dough to set and let rise for one hour.
Brush the Dough with an Egg Wash
Once the bread dough has risen, you will apply an egg wash to the dough and preheat the oven.
First preheat the oven to 350°F.
While the oven preheats, prepare the egg wash.
To do this, use a fork to mix the water into the egg white. Mix well until the egg and water are thoroughly combined.
Then brush the egg white mixture across the tops of each bread dough loaf using a pastry brush. (I like this silicone pastry brush as it’s so easy to clean.)
Bake the Apple Cinnamon Bread
Once the oven has preheated, bake the apple cinnamon bread on the baking sheets for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Then remove the baked bread from the oven and transfer the bread onto wire cooling racks to cool.
Top with Icing
You can top your baked bread with homemade icing once it has completely cooled. The icing, however, is optional.
To make the homemade icing, combine the powdered sugar, milk, butter and maple extract called for in the recipe using a fork or a whisk. (This silicone whisk and pastry brush set are great tools for this recipe.) Mix until the icing is smooth.
Next, 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!
Learn how to make apple cinnamon bread. This recipe teaches you how to bake a braided apple cinnamon bread loaf from scratch. 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 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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!Braided Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Dough
Apple Filling
Crumb Filling
Egg Wash
Homemade Icing
Instructions
Make the Bread Dough
Mix the Apple Bread Filling
Fill the Bread with Apple and Crumb Filling
How to Braid the Bread Dough
Brush the Dough with an Egg Wash
Bake the Apple Cinnamon Bread
Top with Icing
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20
Serving Size:
1 slice
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 265Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 6g 
How to Store Leftover Bread
Unless you have a large family with a hearty appetite or are entertaining, you are likely to have leftover bread. Storing your leftover bread is easy.
There’s no need to refrigerate your apple bread after it’s been baked. As refrigerating bread can cause the bread to actually go stale faster, I recommend storing the apple cinnamon bread at room temperature, covered, for up to one week.
You can eat the leftover bread cold or heated, per your preference. I enjoy heating up my bread and adding a dab of butter the second go round.
If you like this breakfast and dessert bread recipe, then you may also enjoy my Oreo waffles recipe as another tasty breakfast treat.
This recipe originally appeared on Becca Ink.
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