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An Apple a Day

April 22, 2013

Apple | At Down Under | Viviane Perenyi

I like the crunch apple provides to my morning fruit mix with freshly toasted rolled oats. I've come to truly appreciate the different flavours and textures of this popular fruit since I'm here, in New Zealand. And my favourite is a kiwi native, Braeburn. But when it comes to baking with fruit, I seldom think of apple.

Yet the fruit is very versatile, the moisture and slight tartness it brings to bake goods make them delicious and comforting. And I was reminded so this past week as I used apples in my cooking. Thinly sliced on pizza; sautéed in butter with warm goat cheese, crisp sage and prosciutto; diced in crumble and ultimately baked in sourdough bread.

Goat Cheese on Wam Apple Slice with Crisp Sage and Prosciutto | At Down Under | Viviane Perenyi

It's been a while since my last loaf of homemade bread. The warm summer we had did not encourage me to knead much...

Now that days are cooler and a real autumnal weather has settled in with the rain, I crave fresh bread.

And I thought of trying a sourdough bread with grated apple. I was pretty excited about the idea, yet unsure about the outcome. So on Sunday morning, I woke up early to shape and let proof the bread rolls. And later on, the comforting smell of fresh bread was filling the air...

Apples | At Down Under | Viviane Perenyi

The result is reminiscent of a macatia in taste and texture. The apple lends a sweetness to the bread and nicely balance the sourness. The crust is thin and the crumb is soft and not too dense.

I used the usual 1,2,3 method from Flo Makanai. I slightly lower the quantity of flour because the dough was drier than usually with water. And I used Braeburn apples, which are very juicy.

And now, I'm curious to try a pear version as well...

Apple Sourdough Bread | At Down Under | Viviane Perenyi Apple Sourdough Bread Rolls Makes 6 small bread rolls 110g sourdough starter (100% hydration) 220g grated apple (2 medium size apples, peeled and finely grated) 300g flour (2/3 AP white + 1/3 wholemeal) 1 tbsp salt

In a large bowl mix together the sourdough starter, the grated apple and the flours. On a work surface knead the dough for 8 minutes. Add the salt and knead for two additional minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and leave it to rest at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight in a greased bowl covered with cling wrap. Remove the dough from the bowl and on a lightly flour dusted surface divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. To shape each piece, bring the four corners in the centre and pinch. Take the piece in your palm dusted with flour and twist the centre. Place each piece face down (pinch side down and smooth side up) on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Be sure to position the rolls on the baking paper so that they fit into the dimension of your baking/pizza stone. Let them rest for one hour and a half (covered with a clean tea towel). Preheat oven to 240°c with the baking/pizza stone and the dripping pan inside. Prepare 250ml hot water in a jug with a pouring spout. With a blade slash a cross on the top of each piece. Slide the baking paper directly on the baking stone and then cautiously pour the hot water in the dripping pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until nice and golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Apple Sourdough Bread | At Down Under | Viviane Perenyi
All images © 2013 Viviane Perényi

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J'aime le croquant que la pomme apporte à mon mélange de fruits du petit-déjeuner avec ses flocons d'avoine fraîchement poêlés. Et je dois dire que je suis venue à apprécier réellement les différents arômes et textures de ce fruit si commun depuis que je suis en Nouvelle-Zélande. Et ma préférence va à la Braeburn, originaire d'ici. Lorsqu'il s'agit d'utiliser un fruit en gâteau ou autre, je pense rarement à la pomme.

Pourtant ce fruit est très versatile, le moelleux et le léger goût acidulé qu'il apporte en cuisine est tout simplement délicieux et réconfortant. Cette semaine c'est ce que j'ai réappris en cuisinant les pommes. Finement tranchées sur une pizza; sautées dans du beurre avec du chèvre chaud, des chips de sauge et du jambon de Parme; en cube dans un crumble et dernièrement dans du pain au levain.

Cela fait un moment que je n'ai fait mon pain maison. L'été chaud que nous avons eu ne m'a pas trop encouragé à pétrir...

A présent que les jours sont plus frais et qu'une vraie atmosphère automnale s'est installée avec la pluie, j'ai envie de bon pain.

J'ai pensé à essayer du pain au levain avec de la pomme râpée. J'étais assez enthousiaste par cette idée, ne connaissant pourtant pas le résultat. Donc le dimanche matin, je me suis levée tôt pour former et laisser lever les petits pains. Et plus tard, l'odeur réconfortante du pain frais remplissait l'air.

Le résultat rappelle le goût et la texture du macatia. La pomme apporte de la douceur au pain et balance joliment l'acidité du levain. La croûte est fine et la mie moelleuse sans être trop dense.

J'ai utilisé la méthode 1,2,3 de Flo Makanai. J'ai légèrement réduit la quantité de farine, parce que la pâte était un peu plus sèche que celle habituellement à l'eau. J'ai utilisé ici les pommes Braeburn qui sont très juteuses. Et à présent, je suis curieuse d'essayer une version avec de la poire...

--- ## Comments > *J'aime beaucoup tes photos....et ce post !* > **[Sandrine](http://Blog.sandr.in)** > *Beautiful as always. Love that first apple photo.* > **[thyme (Sarah)](http://rileymadel.blogspot.com)** > *Your post just made me even hungrier. I love apples too, it's sweet tangy and crunchy! :)* > **[esterdeluna](http://esterdeluna.wordpress.com)** > *Je ne te le dis pas à chaque fois même si je le pense toujours : tes photos sont superbes ! Puis, moi qui suis dans ma "période pains maison en folie", tu viens carrément me tenter !* > **[christelle is flabbergasting](http://www.christelleisflabbergasting.com)** > *Wow, that bread looks absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to reach into the screen and pick one up for myself :o)* > **[Domestic Executive (@domesticexec)](http://twitter.com/domesticexec)** > *Gorgeous shots and lovely bread rolls! Cheers, Rosa* > **[Rosa Mayland](http://www.facebook.com/Rosa.J.May)** > *Carole, photographier pour des projets de livres culinaires est ce vers quoi j'aspire en effet. Je souhaite beaucoup de succès à ton livre !* > **[Vanille](http://atdownunder.wordpress.com)** > *LOVE that shot of the apple with the leaf on. So pretty and that bread looks crusty. I love baking breads but neve tried a sourdough roll and that too with apple. I have two green apples at home. Would that work. I am so curious to try this recipe.* > **[Kankana](http://www.sunshineandsmile.com)** > *How fantastic and such beautiful photos, i miss braeburns, such good sturdy little apples, everyone used to have a tree of them in their back yards when i was a kid in NZ. c.* > **[cecilia](http://thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com)** > *Beautiful photographs! Love your ideas of cooking with apples. Never thought of using them these ways!* > **[lea](http://bitesfromlifewiththebarkinglot.blogspot.com/)** > *This sounds really good! Thanks for sharing your apple sourdough bread experiment! I will bookmark this to try for later!* > **[tomorrowswisdom](http://tomorrowswisdom.wordpress.com)** > *Your photography is outstanding, your recipes stunning... and I love love love your seasonal philosophy. Just like my own.* > **lizzygoodthings** > *I love apples - two thumbs up for this lovely recipe!* > **[mycookinghut](http://www.mycookinghut.com)** > *Rosa, thank you ! I was pretty happy with my bread rolls ;) Lea, thank you. Hopefully it'll inspire you ! Tomorrowswisdom, let me know how it turns out for you ! Sandrine, merci ;) Cecilia, right now it's feijoa season. I'm sure this fruit may bring you a lot of childhood memories too ;) Christelle, le pain maison c'est une aventure ! Rien de plus réconfortant qu'une miche sortie tout droit du four… Kankana, if you like baking bread I can only encourage you to try a sourdough. If your apples are very juicy it should work. Thyme, thank you. Esterdeluna, ;) Domestic Executive, go ahead help yourself ;)* > **[Vanille](http://atdownunder.wordpress.com)** > *What a lovely post! The photographs are stunning and the recipe so enticing... Thanks for sharing! :)* > **[Bluejellybeans](http://bluejellybeans.wordpress.com)** > *Beautiful photos!!! I love the idea of apple sourdough! Did you grow your own starter?* > **[Asha](http://www.forkspoonnknife.com)** > *Love that apple shot!* > **Elisa** > *Bluejellybeans, thank you ! Hopefully it'll inspire you in your own kitchen ;) Asha, thanks ! Yes, I have my own starter/levain that is years old now and made of 50% flour and 50% water. Elisa, thank you !* > **[Vanille](http://atdownunder.wordpress.com)** > *I love the smell of fresh bread in the morning, and with apple in it too, delicious! I will definitely have to try this recipe.* > **[about sean's food](http://about.seansfood.wordpress.com)** > *Je confirme que la pomme est un fruit très intéressant, j'ai d'ailleurs le nez plongé dedans en ce moment (mon prochain livre... ;) D'ailleurs, tu devrais en écrire un, je pense que le mix entre ton ile d'origine, ton ile d'adoption (2 iles que j'adore, mais malheureusement encore jamais mis les pieds sur la 2ème) et tes talents de cuisinière et photographe doit donner un super résultat! Mais peut-être y as-tu déjà pensé? :)* > **[Carole / Botacook](http://botacook.blogspot.com)** > *I just stubbled across your blog and think it's beautiful! Your photography is stunning and so inspirational. Thank you. Those bread rolls are to die for, sadly I probably would die if I have them since I so wish they could be gluten free...or that I could make gluten free ones just like those...As for the apples....beautiful!* > **[mymezzaluna](http://mymezzaluna.wordpress.com)** > *Amo le mele!! this is my blog * > **federicaferrarese** > *meraviglioso e sicuramente profumato!!complimenti :D* > **[Elisabetta](http://danonnasabbella.blogspot.it)** > *I just tried this - I made it into one round loaf. It came out beautiful, tastes great, soft crumb. But it is really salty. I will definitely make it again, but with much less salt. Thanks for the great idea though!* > **Shelley** > *[…] are some good looking breads to consider baking soon. We got: apple sourdough bread, brioche donuts with honey glaze, challah pretzel bread, and cinnamon raisin soda bread. (pictures […]* > **[bread on the menu | guy and his girl](http://guyandhisgirl.com/2014/02/17/bread-on-the-menu/)** > *I baked this today and was good. Only used 8g salt and added a little water as dough seemed too dry. Nice flavour and soft crust and crumb. Made one small loaf.* > **Trish D** > *Okay so I just made it again, used coarse salt, and reduced it to 3/4 of a tbs. Much better. This bread is so delicious I can't get over it! :) Also this time I used 100 g rye flour, 100 g gluten flour, and 100 g hard white bread flour. And I added about 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts. So so delicious! Thank you Thank you!* > **Shelley** > *maybe you used coarse salt, and I used table salt?* > **Shelley** > *[…] forrása: fügés-diós kenyér gesztenye mézzel, almás kenyér, toszkán kenyér, céklás […]* > **[Kihívás #19 | Négy Évszak Blog](http://negyevszakblog.hu/2015/08/10/kihivas-19/)** > *Hi Ivy, you may try. I didn't try myself but bread usually freeze well.* > **[Vanille](http://atdownunder.com)** > *Lovely post! I was wondering if these will freeze well?* > **Ivy**