Apple hearth bread

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ To 1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose
Flour
1 pack Rapid-rising dry yeast
½ teaspoon Salt
⅔ cup Very warm water (120 degrees to
130 Degrees F)
½ cup Olive oil
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Butter
1 large Golden delicious or other
Sweet firm apple, peeled, cored,
And cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
¼ teaspoon Coarse (kosher) salt
(optional)

Directions

Sweet apples and salty bread provide an intriguing contrast in taste.

To ensure that the hearth bread remains light and crisp, keep the dough soft: Don't work in too much flour and knead it gently.

Makes 1 loaf (6 servings)

1. In large bowl of heavy-duty electric mixer, combine 1½ cups flour, the yeast, and salt. Slowly beat in water, ¼ cup olive oil, and the honey; vigorously beat mixture 10 minutes. Cover bowl with clean cloth and let dough rise in warm place, away from drafts, 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter. Add apple slices and saute' until very lightly browned; set aside.

3. After dough has risen 40 minutes, turn out onto floured surface.

Gently knead in as much of remaining ¼ cup flour as necessary to form a very soft dough - about 1 minute. Gently work apple slices into the dough.

4. Lightly oil large baking sheet. With floured fingers, shape dough into a 9 inch round on oiled sheet. Cover with clean cloth and let rise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in size - about 30 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. With pastry brush, coat top of dough round with 2 tablespoons olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hearth bread is browned.

6. Drizzle hearth bread with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and serve warm.

Nutritional information per serving - protein: 4 grams; fat: 20 grams; carbohydrate: 34 grams; fiber: 2 grams; sodium: 195 milligrams; cholesterol: 5 milligrams; calories: 335.

From: Country Living, September, 1992.

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