Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread
Sourdough apple fritter bread layers cinnamon apples through a buttery discard quick bread and finishes with a vanilla glaze. No kneading, no proofing, and a full cup of sourdough discard.
Servings: 10 servings (one 9x5 loaf)
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan (9x5-inch)
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups Flour All purpose
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar white cane sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Sourdough Discard
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 6 tbsp Butter Unsalted, melted
For the Apple Cinnamon Mixture:
- 3 medium Apples about 300g, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or similar tart variety works best)
- 1 tbsp sugar white cane
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
For the Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
For the Vanilla Glaze:
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 to 3 tbsp Milk adjust for desired glaze consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan generously and dust it with flour, or line it with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
- In a second bowl, stir together the sourdough discard, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter until smooth. There is no milk in the batter; the discard supplies the liquid.
- Pour the wet mixture into the well and fold gently until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick, closer to a soft dough than a pourable batter. Do not overmix.
- Peel and dice the apples to about 1/4 inch. Toss them in a small bowl with the sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated.
- In another small bowl, stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together for the topping. No butter or flour is needed.
- Spread half the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter half the apples over it, pressing them lightly in, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Spread the remaining batter over the apples, working it out to the edges. Top with the remaining apples, press them gently in, and finish with the rest of the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Check at 40 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the top is already deep brown. The loaf is done when a toothpick pushed into the crumb between the apple pieces comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together, adding the milk a spoonful at a time until the glaze ribbons off the whisk. Drizzle over the fully cooled loaf and let it set before slicing.
Notes
Choosing apples: Use a firm, tart apple that holds its shape, such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, Northern Spy, or Honeycrisp. Avoid McIntosh and Cortland, which collapse into sauce and leave a wet cinnamon layer instead of distinct fruit. Peel them, and dice smaller than feels right; 1/4 inch pieces hold the slice together where 1/2 inch chunks leave cavities behind as they shrink.
Resting the batter: For a deeper sourdough tang, mix the batter through step 5 but leave the baking powder out. Cover and rest at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, sprinkle the baking powder over the surface, fold it in gently, then assemble and bake as written. Holding the baking powder back matters, because it releases part of its gas as soon as it hits liquid, and a batter mixed the usual way and rested overnight bakes up shorter and denser. Do not assemble the loaf until you are ready to bake, since apples sitting in cinnamon sugar release a lot of liquid.
Doneness: Fruit-heavy loaves bake longer than they look like they should, and the brown sugar top darkens well before the center sets. Tent with foil at 40 minutes and test with a toothpick pushed between the apple pieces rather than through one, since hot apple juice reads as raw batter.
Muffins: Divide the batter and apples between 12 lined muffin cups, layering the same way, and bake at 350F for 22 to 26 minutes.
True streusel: The topping as written is a cinnamon sugar, not a streusel, and it melts into a thin crackly layer. For crumbs, work 1/4 cup flour and 3 Tbsp cold butter into the brown sugar and cinnamon with your fingertips and use it on the top layer only.
Storage: Wrapped tightly at room temperature the loaf keeps for 3 days and is arguably best on day two. In the refrigerator it holds 5 days but firms up, so warm slices before serving. Freeze it unglazed, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and glaze afterward.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg