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Country Bread With Apples Recipe

Country Bread With Apples recipe
NYT Cooking

This is a whole wheat version of a classic Norman country bread. Normandy is apple country and apples find their way into many dishes in this region. I came across the bread in “Bread Alone” by Daniel Leader, and have adapted the recipe. The dough ferments overnight in the refrigerator, and after it has come back to room temperature the chopped apples are kneaded in. It goes beautifully with cheese.

Ingredients

7 grams (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
50 grams (1/4 cup) lukewarm water
365 grams (1 1/2 cups) sparkling cider (such as Martinelli’s), at room temperature
250 grams (approximately 2 cups) whole wheat flour
175 grams (approximately 1 1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
75 grams (approximately 2/3 cup) rye flour
13 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) sea salt
165 grams finely chopped green apples (such as Granny Smith or Pippin) (approximately 1 1/4 cups; 1 large Granny Smith apple)
Walnut oil or vegetable oil for the bowl

Method

1
In the bowl of a standing mixer, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir in sparkling cider. Add flours and salt. Mix at low speed with the paddle attachment just until combined. Change to the dough hook and mix at medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes, until dough is adhering to the hook and slapping around on the sides of the bowl. You may need to hold onto the mixer so it doesn’t bounce around. Dough will be sticky.
2
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours.
3
Remove bowl from refrigerator and place in a warm spot. Let dough come to room temperature, which should take approximately 2 hours. Ideally dough should come to 74-78 degrees Fahrenheit
4
Deflate dough with your fingertips and turn onto lightly floured surface. Flatten with your dusted hands and add some of the chopped apples. Fold dough over, flatten again and add more of the apples. Continue to do this, adding flour to your hands and the surface as necessary, until all of the apples have been worked into the dough. Shape into a ball. Rinse and dry bowl, brush with walnut oil and place dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover with a damp towel and place another towel on top of the damp one. Place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in volume and a slight indentation remains when pressed gently (don’t press too hard or it will deflate), 2 to 3 hours.
5
Deflate dough and turn onto a lightly dusted board. Flour your hands. Dough will be moist because of the apples. Shape into a tight ball and place, rounded side down in a banneton (a lined basket for bread) or a bowl lined with a flour-dusted towel, or rounded side up on a parchment-lined baking peel or sheet (dough will spread out if it is not in a banneton). Cover with a damp towel and let rise until just about doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees for at least 45 minutes.
6
When dough is ready, dust baking stone with cornmeal. Reverse dough onto the hot stone if using a banneton, slide it onto the stone if using a peel, and make two 1/2-inch deep slashes with a moistened serrated knife or with a razor blade. Place in the oven and spray oven with water. Close oven door and spray again after 3 minutes, being careful not to open oven door for more than a few seconds. Set timer for 15 minutes, then quickly remove parchment if you used a baking peel, and turn oven down to 400 degrees. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until bread is deep brown and responds to tapping with a hollow thumping sound
7
Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
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