Apple Butter Cinnamon Swirl Bread is a yeast loaf with generous swirls throughout of cinnamon and apple butter. A perfect bread for fall!
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🍂A perfectly autumn loaf
I love swirl breads and this one is the first one I've tried. It is so fun cutting into a loaf and seeing those random swirls here and there! Expect me to make more of them soon!
I was thinking fall flavours when I came up with this recipe, and I think I pretty much nailed it! Cinnamon, apples, and pecans in a warm bread...this is fall, without all that pumpkin spice. Not that I don't like pumpkin spice (chocolate pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls...I could go on!), but there are alternatives that are just as good!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Pecans - Use prepared pecan pieces to save time from chopping whole pecans up.
- Apples - Approximately 3 apples will be needed for this recipe. Use whatever is your favourite type of apples.
- Whole milk - 2% milk can be substituted. I don't recommend using a lighter fat milk for better taste.
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter can be substituted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
🔪Instructions
Bread
To make the bread, add yeast to a large bowl and pour warmed milk over top. The milk should be warm to the touch. Too hot of a liquid will kill the yeast. For those who like to test the temperature, 95°F (35°C) is the perfect fermentation temperature. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can froth up a bit. This is a good test to make sure your yeast is alive.
Add sugar and butter, and then add 4 cups of flour and salt. We don't add all the flour here, because the amount of flour needed is depended on the temperature in your kitchen.
Knead until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl. Add the remaining flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. Form the dough into a large ball. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to double, about 1 hour.
Cinnamon apple butter
To make the cinnamon apple butter, combine apple, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Whisk together over medium heat stirring frequently. The apples will start to lose their juices as they heat. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken the mixture. stirring continuously. Remove from heat and let cool.
To assemble the bread, punch down double bread dough and roll it into a large 9x15 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface . Spread the cinnamon apple butter over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border around the bread.
Sprinkle pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon apple butter, if using. Starting from the short end, roll into a tight log, just like a cinnamon roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise, keeping one end attached. Twist the two pieces together and carefully place the bread in the prepared loaf pan.
Place loose plastic wrap over the bread and let it double in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare a loaf pan by greasing the sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and 190°F (88°C) in the center. If the loaf is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.
Cool the loaf on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.
For more step-by-step photos and instructions, see the web story for apple butter cinnamon swirl bread!
✔️Expert tips
- Don't add too much flour, which would end in a dense bread. Make sure to stop adding in flour when the dough is not sticking to the bottom of your mixing bowl, and is cleaning the sides of the bowl.
- Let the dough double in size. If you are in a cool kitchen, it could take longer then an hour. In the winter I like to proof my bread dough in a warmed up oven. To do this, turn your oven on at 350°F (177°C). Let the oven start to heat up for 1 minute. Turn the oven off. The oven should just be slightly warm. Put your dough in the oven and close the door.
- Like chunkier pieces of apples? Dice them instead of grating them.
- The assembled loaf needs a second rise, so don't skip it. It might take less then 30 minutes, so check on it.
- First time baking with yeast? Check out my instructions on baking with yeast!
💭FAQs
Make the dough, place it in a greased bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. It will rise slowly. Let the dough come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
Yes, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Fuji, Macintosh, and Golden Delicious all break down well when cooking apple butter.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
Apple Butter Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- one 9x5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
Bread
- 2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast same as one packet
- 1½ cups whole milk warm
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Apple Butter Filling
- 1 cup apple grated, about 3 apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Bread
- Add yeast to a large bowl and pour warmed milk over top. The milk should be warm to the touch. Too hot of a liquid will kill the yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The yeast should start to froth up.
- Add sugar and butter, and then add 4 cups of flour and salt. Knead until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl. Add the remaining flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. Form the dough into a large ball.
- Grease a large bowl and place the dough in. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to double, about 1 hour.
Cinnamon Apple Butter Filling
- In a small saucepan , combine apple, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together over medium heat stirring frequently. The apples will start to lose their juices as they heat.
- Simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken the mixture. stirring continuously. Remove from heat and let cool.
Assemble
- Grease a standard 9x5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Punch down and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, into a large rectangle, about 9x15 inches. Spread the cinnamon apple butter over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border around the bread.
- Sprinkle pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon apple butter, if using. Roll from the short end, roll into a tight log.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise, keeping one end attached. Twist the two pieces together and carefully place the bread in the prepared loaf pan.
- Place loose plastic wrap over the bread and let it double in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and 190°F (88°C). If the loaf is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.
- Cool the loaf on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing into it.
- Store leftover bread tightly wrapped up at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Don't add too much flour, which would end in a dense bread. Make sure to stop adding in flour when the dough is not sticking to the bottom of your mixing bowl, and is cleaning the sides of the bowl.
- Let the dough double in size. If you are in a cool kitchen, it could take longer then an hour. In the winter I like to proof my bread dough in a warmed up oven. To do this, turn your oven on at 350°F (177°C). Let the oven start to heat up for 1 minute. Turn the oven off. The oven should just be slightly warm. Put your dough in the oven and close the door.
- Like chunkier pieces of apples? Dice them instead of grating them.
- The assembled loaf needs a second rise, so don't skip it. It might take less then 30 minutes, so check on it.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️