Apple Bread

We discovered a new favorite bread recipe and I wanted to share it.  This came about because we ended up with several bushes of apples this weekend and were looking for some new recipes to try.  We had made a pot of apple sauce already that day, so all required ingredients were readily available.

We use our breadmachine to mix and knead the dough - on the dough cycle only - and then bake it in a regular oven.  But the same recipe can be hand kneaded the old fashioned way.

For use with breadmachine, place the following ingredients in the machine in the order shown:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup warm applesauce
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded apple (I may have used more than that)
• 1 Tablespoon softened butter (I cut mine up in small pieces)
• 4 Tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cup bread flour (all bread will turn out better with bread flour due to higher gluten content)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Turn on dough cycle - our machine takes about 1.5 hours for the cycle to complete, take out dough - if too moist, knead with some additional flour until dough does not stick anymore, shape dough and place in buttered bread pan.  (I like to roll the dough around in the pan, so the dough is covered with a little butter on all sided).  Then let rise in a warm place.  Bake at 375 degree F for 30 minutes.  Place on wire rack to cool and immediately cover top crust with butter, to keep it soft.  (I simply use a cold stick of butter and run the end across the bread - the butter melts immediately to cover the bread)

Perfect for breakfast with a little jam or honey!