Apple Ladder Loaf

So.. I made this awhile ago.. Remember, I mentioned it? It went over amazingly well. Hubby said it reminded him of king cake, which I think is flattering knowing his love for it. I'm a big fan of apples in bread, so I'll definitely make this again, tweaking the recipe.. as usual.. So here goes.. This is from The Taste of Home Cookbook, recipe by Norma Foster.

Apple Ladder Loaf

Bread:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115F)
1/2 cup warm milk (110-115F)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
4-1/2 to 4-3/4 cups flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
4 cups thinly sliced and peeled tart apples (I used granny smiths and had hubby slice them super thin using our mandolin slicer.. oh mandolin slicer, how I love thee!)

Icing:
1 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar
1-2 tsp orange juice or milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extra

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. (My mom always taught me to do so in a smaller container, like a measuring cup, but do as you will. I followed Mom's advice, then just transferred to a bowl.) Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on low for 3 minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. (I didn't have a sturdy enough spoon, so I used my hands and basically kneaded in the rest of the flour.)
Next, turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic - about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours; punch the dough down. (I love this step.) Cover and refrigerate over night. (I didn't cover it overnight. I'm impatient and didn't feel the step was necessary. Maybe doing so would have made it extra-super-duper amazing, but it's fine without the overnight step.)
If you did the overnight thing, punch the dough down again. Turn onto a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Place each on a greased baking sheet. (I went a slightly different route; I placed the rectangles on parchment paper. This made working the dough easier AND kept my baking sheets clean. I just placed the parchment paper on top of the baking sheet when it was time for the bread to rise and when it was time to bake.) Spread each with 1/8 cup butter - make sure it is very soft.
For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl; add apples and toss to coat. Spread filling down the center third of each rectangle.
On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 3 inches into the center (a ruler is very helpful at this point). Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling, seal ends. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 3-40 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine took ALOT less time to bake, perhaps 20 minutes. I ended up slicing into mine to see if the bread was fully cooked - it was.) Combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over warm loaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.


So I'm not as good at ... laddering bread as I was at braiding it. Hubby says it's just a matter of practice, which is sweet of him. Now, to changes... One person recommended using different apples; she's not a fan of the granny smith. I personally love baking with the granny smith; I find their tart and crisp nature hold up well after baking and also complement the sweetness of the sugar mixture and icing. Regarding the spice mixture, I felt it was a bit too heavy on the nutmeg, but then again many other people thought it was great. My mom never baked with nutmeg, so I'm pretty sensitive to it.

I'll definitely make this again. It'd be great for a brunch. Watch out though; it makes 2 full loaves. I ended up bringing one to school and leaving it in the writing center.

The semester is ending, and my summer plans are to read and bake so expect a foodsplosion again.

I just took a lemon cake out of the oven, and I'm making manicotti tonight. I'm excited, and you should be too.