Sourdough “Apple Pie” Loaf
A wonderful
mid-day snack!
Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter
¾ to 1 cup milk of choice (I use cashew or almond milk)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups organic, whole wheat flour
1 ½ sticks butter (I use organic, pasture-raised butter or vegan butter)
1 ½ cups honey or sweetener of your choice
4 eggs or flax eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Apple layer
4-6 large apples, cored and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom and sides of two loaf pans.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sourdough starter, milk, vanilla extract, and whole wheat flour. The dough should be just wet enough to stir, but not too wet. Add additional milk as needed to get the dough to form into a soft ball. Set aside for 6-12 hours to culture. This process helps to break down the bran of the grain, making the wheat more digestible. It also helps to neutralize phytic acid, making the minerals in the bread more accessible to our bodies, which is called bioavailability.
When you are ready to bake, in medium bowl combine the apples, honey, and cinnamon. Line the bottom of your two loaf pans with the apple mixture and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and honey for 5 minutes, scraping side and bottom of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended.
Add the sourdough bread culture to the egg mixture along with cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Beat at high speed of an electric mixture for 30 seconds to a minute. You want to make sure the two mixtures thoroughly combine. If the dough seems a bit wet (mine usually does) add ¼ cup of whole wheat flour and thoroughly mix.
Be sure your oven is hot and ready to go before you do the last step. Add the baking powder and baking soda to the dough and thoroughly combine. Divide mixture evenly among the apple-lined loaf pans and immediately place in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.