The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Apple Oat Bread

limmitedbaking's picture
limmitedbaking

Apple Oat Bread

Having been inspired by the plentiful and varied apples available during my trip to the apple festival, I decided to make a bread reflecting the season and celebrating this special fruit.

I briefly followed the recipe here: http://youcandoitathome.blogspot.ca/2011/05/apple-and-oat-sourdough-fresh-fruit.html which is supposedly from Bourke Street Bakery since I wanted to use whole apples in the dough. I modified it to use my standard 8 hour bulk ferment dough which means a much lower proportion of sourdough starter. I used one medium size spartan apple cut roughly into chunks.

And here's the result with a crumb shot featuring the lovely bits of baked apples poking out of the crumb.

Overall it was a nice bread with great oven spring (the lower hydration helped keep its shaped too). I am slightly disappointed that the apple flavour was not so pronounced. Maybe it was the type of apple used. Comparing it to a similar recipe, ie Nancy Silverton's Pear bread, I think this could do with a hint of spice or maybe a paste of mashed up apples to flavour the crumb. Texture was quite nice though, with the oats giving it a slightly softer texture.

-Tim

Comments

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Tim,

I have baked a lot of apple oat breads this fall too.  I used Dan Leopard's recipe from his book 'The Hand Made Loaf'.  I tweaked it with each bake.

To bring out a more pronounced apple flavor I added boiled cider (KA catalogue) to the cooked oats.  I also added dried cranberries and spices.  I used Penzey's baking spices which is a combo of cinnamon, anise, nutmeg and allspice.  Smelled heavenly as it baked and all who got loaves loved it.  I also used Granny Smith green apples as the apples which I grated and chopped so texture was varied.

I also found that due to the moisture content that the loaves needed to be baked in a loaf pan or else they spread hopelessly once in the oven.  People still loved them but the looked as though they had been dropped just prior to baking.  :O

Have Fun experimenting with your apples.

Janet

limmitedbaking's picture
limmitedbaking

Hi Janet, thanks for the suggestions. I was considering whether to go with Dan Lepard's recipe initially having seen quite a few good bakes, but opted to use this for the fresh apples instead. Next time round I will add some spices and grated apples as well. Did not really have a problem with the hydration though. Maybe its the the grated apples that are contributing quite a bit of extra water to the though. Will keep on experimenting!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Very nice baking Tim.  I just finished baking a hard cider loaf but didn't use any fresh apples in it.  Yours came out real nice.

Regards

Ian

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

so combining them in a bread sounds delicious and yours turned out very nice.  Odd the apple flavor wasn't very pronounced.  I saw on America's Kitchen where the same thing happened and they tested everything to get more apple flavor to come through.  Their solution was using dried apples and re-hydrating them in apple cider.

Casey_Powers's picture
Casey_Powers

It sounds like a nice combo with apples and oats. The bread looks so simple and rustic.  

Warm Regards,

Casey

wassisname's picture
wassisname

That is a great looking loaf, Tim, and it's making me hungry!  I imagine it would be hard not to get inspired at an apple festival.  I hope we'll see more tasty creations!

Marcus