Apple Bread for Bread Machines

Why This is the Best Recipe

As the author of The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook, I know my way around a bread maker. I think this is the best apple bread for bread machines because:

1. Sliceable Texture: The texture of this apple bread recipe is more like a traditional slicing loaf of bread, not a muffin-like quick bread. It is sweet, but not overly so. You can easily slice it for sandwiches or toasting.
2. Big Apple Flavor: With apple cider and applesauce in the mix, this bread is bursting with apple flavor BUT it isn't too sweet.
3. Hearty Oats: The weight of the bread is very hearty thanks to the addition of quick cooking oats. It will hold up quite well to dipping in your favorite soup.

Ingredients

As with all my homemade bread recipes, you only need a few ingredients to make this bread:

• Bread Flour
• Apple Cider: I recommend fresh apple cider from the refrigerated department but you could use apple juice if cider isn't in season yet.
• Applesauce: I used sweetened plain applesauce.
• Quick Cooking Oats
• Brown Sugar
• Butter
• Apple Pie Spice: If you don't have an apple pie spice blend, you could substitute cinnamon and a tiny pinch of nutmeg.
• Salt: I use Morton's Kosher Salt
• Active Dry Yeast

Add the Wet Ingredients First

Almost all bread machines require that you add the wet ingredients to the bread pan first.

Make sure your paddle attachment is in place and then add the apple cider, applesauce, and softened butter to the pan.

Add the Dry Ingredients

You'll drop the dry ingredients directly onto the wet ingredients in the bread pan.

First, spoon the bread flour on top.

Then add the quick cooking oats, brown sugar, apple pie spice, and kosher salt around the perimeter of the pan.

Use the back of a spoon to dig a small well in the center of the flour and place the yeast there. This helps keep it separate from the salt until it is time to be blended together.

Bread Machine Program Settings

Choose the Basic or White program setting.

Select the 1.5-pound loaf size.

Choose the color of the bake setting if your machine has that option. I used the Medium setting on my Cuisinart bread machine.

Watch the Texture

Once you hit Start, the bread machine will get to work.

Keep an eye on the dough as it mixes. It should come together and form a ball that does not stick to the wall of the bread pan.

If the dough looks too dry, add a little more apple cider, just a 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it comes together.

If the dough is sticking to the bread pan walls, add more bread flour, just 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it stops sticking.

The Basic/White program takes about 3 hours to complete and you should end up with a gorgeous, golden brown bread loaf that looks like this:

Serving Suggestions

It is best to let the apple bread rest for 30 minutes before slicing so that the moisture doesn't escape through the slices.

You can slice it into traditional sandwich/toast slices, or you could cut it into bread fingers for dipping into soup. My family loves it both ways.

Since the bread is easy to slice, there are tons of things you could make with it:

• Make amazing peanut butter toast
• Toast it and add apple butter to double the apple flavor
• Make my french toast and top it with salty pecans and maple syrup

Some of my favorite fall soups to pair with apple bread include:

An apple bread also pairs really well with many fall sandwich ideas.

You could make a turkey brie sandwich or a grilled ham and havarti sandwich with this bread.

Cut the apple bread into toast points and serve with cranberry chicken salad with jalapeños or use it to make easy finger sandwiches for a party.

More Easy Bread Recipes

Our bread machine always gets a work out during this time of year. Here are a few other delicious bread maker recipes I think you'll love: