I’m not afraid to admit that I. LOVE. CARBS. And while I’m being honest then I should probably tell you that bread and pasta rank as my favorite two ways to consume carbs. I think you get the picture that because of me (and my youngest son), we eat a lot of carbs at our house. When the stars align and we have enough time in the weekend, we will make homemade bread. My husband and I share the breadmaking duties at home. He’s more of the artisan or sandwich bread maker, and willing to experiment with sourdough starters, while I am the opposite. I enjoy making sweet, breakfast-style breads that follow a recipe precisely. With a sea of bread recipes out there, it can be hard to find one that is friendly to beginners like me and also delicious. Well, whether you are a seasoned breadmaker or the person looking for bread recipes for beginners, I have good news for you. Get read for the BEST bread recipe!
It’s another great one from Chelsea of A Duck’s Oven, and is equal parts flaky but soft thanks to delicious Stemilt apples. It can be made with EITHER yeast or a sourdough starter and that is the main reason it tops my list of bread recipes to make! My husband can make it with his science experiment sourdough starter, and I can also make it with my go-to yeast.
This bread requires simple ingredients that you’ll probably have on hand at home – flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, etc. and a gooey apple filling made with perfect Pink Lady® apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Then, to finish it off, you drizzle a maple glaze over the loaf. This takes it from a bread recipe that you’d be willing to share with friends or neighbors to one that you keep in your stash of secret recipes so that you – and only you – can impress people with your skills when you make it.
Perhaps the best part of this recipe is the fact I shared earlier that you can make it with or without a sourdough starter. If you are making it with the sourdough starter, you’ll skip the instant yeast and have to add 3 additional cups (or more) of flour. There’s also an element of time involved. If you go with the sourdough starter, it’s going to take longer (double the time) for the dough to proof. But if you’ve already mothered over a sourdough starter, then I’m guessing you won’t mind the extra waiting period.
Looking for more beginner bread recipes? Check out this quick cherry bread or this gluten-free apple fritter bread.
You’ll get two loaves for all that work with this recipe, so you can easily share or freeze one to enjoy another time. The apples are folded into the bread, and you’ll taste the sweet-tart Pink Lady® in just about every bite. I’ve been known to exaggerate, but I’m serious when I say, this is the BEST bread recipe. It’s the perfect bread recipe for beginners, and something that you can decide whether you want to share with others, or keep to yourself…like I do with my beloved carbs.
Happy bread making!