When I was in elementary school, my school district held a yearly fundraiser with the company Butter Braid, which produces frozen bake-and-eat braided pastries with jammy fruit fillings. I was not much of a saleswoman, so my parents ended up buying about half a dozen pastries from me every year to make it seem like I participated.

When the fundraiser was over, my household had a freezer full of sugary and unsubstantial (but quite delicious) frozen filled pastries. Whenever we weren't sure what to have for breakfast, we would toss one of those in the oven. This recipe is my ode to Butter Braid, featuring much more filling and a more satisfying, breadier dough than the original.

The bread’s dough is adapted from my Cinnamon Sugar Tea Ring recipe. It's a simple, soft and versatile dough that lets the cinnamon-apple filling shine. This apple bread tastes great straight out of the oven, eaten cold out of the fridge, or reheated the next day. Add a scoop of ice cream on top for a more decadent fall treat!

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Makes: 2 braided loaves of bread

Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

For the dough

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast
2 tablespoons water
3 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling

4 large apples or about 6 cups sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour

Methods

First, make the dough. To do this, start by pouring the milk into a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Whisk until the milk is almost boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Take the saucepot off the heat and stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add in the eggs and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the water and yeast.
Use a large spoon to stir in the flour one cup at a time. Once the dough starts to form a shaggy mass, transfer it to a clean countertop and knead for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and springs back when poked. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Peel the apples and cut them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sugar and apple cider vinegar (AKA all ingredients except the flour) in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are very soft, stirring occaisionally. Then, stir in the flour and let cook until most of the juices have been absorbed or evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool for the rest of the dough's rising time.
Once the dough has risen, punch down to deflate and split the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle with the short side facing you. Then, spoon half of the apple filling in a 2-inch wide line down the center of the dough. The line should be perpendicular to you.
Use a plain edge knife to cut a series of diagonal lines about 1/2-inch thick down the sides of the dough (see photo above). Leave about 1/4-inch of space between the apple filling and the slices. Then, alternate sides as you fold the dough strips across the apple filling. Repeat rolling out, filling and braiding with the other half of dough and filling.
Once the dough halves are braided, carefully transfer them to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover again with a damp tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffy and soft. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Brush the dough with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt) and sprinkle with granulated sugar or sugar in the raw. Bake the braids for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat up, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Sustainability Tips

Milk and Butter: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are companies held to really high environmental and social standards. You could also try out vegan milk, butter or cream cheese options here to cut back on dairy in this dish.
Eggs: Local eggs are pretty easy to find in most regions. Buying locally means your eggs won't have to travel as far, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
Flour: I like to buy King Arthur brand flour because King Arthur Flour is a B Corp, which means that they're held to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could seek out a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.
Apples: Make sure these pups are in season when you make this dish (late summer to early fall is perfect in most places). This will make it easier to buy organically and as locally as possible. Buying organically and locally will ensure that your apples don't contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.

Braided Apple Bread