Two 9-inch round or 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaves (about 16 servings)

Hands on: 20-30 minutes

Jim Scherer/Artisan (ENLARGE)
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Total time: about 5 1/2 hours

Inspired by all the delicious recipes for apple challah, I set out to create the most intensely appley version possible. I started with a sweet challah dough and crammed in as many apples as was physically possible. The bread isn't a beauty, but if you love apples, you won't be able to resist it.

I use a new technique that I call yeast slurry to start my doughs. It's easier than proofing the yeast and it gives beginners confidence that the yease is good.

2 teaspoons instant yeast (aka RapidRise, Bread Machine or Perfect Rise yeast or QuickRise yeast)

5 cups bread flour, divided

1 cup warm water

3 large eggs

6 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for the pan and the dough

2 teaspoons table salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

3 large or about 4 medium baking apples (or 2 1/2 pounds), preferably Braeburns, for 4 1/2 heaping cups prepared apples

To mix the slurry: In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1 cup of the flour, then whisk in the warm water until the yeast slurry is smooth. Let the yeast slurry ferment uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it begins to ferment and puff up slightly.

To mix the dough: Whisk into the puffed yeast slurry the eggs, oil, salt and sugar. When the eggs are well-incorporated and the salt and sugar have dissolved, stir in the remaining 4 cups flour all at once with your hands or a wooden spoon. When the mixture is a shaggy ball, scrape it out onto your work surface, and knead it until it is smooth and firm, no more than 10 minutes. (Soak your mixing bowl in hot water now, to clean it and warm it if you would like to use it for fermenting the dough.) If the dough is too firm to easily knead, add a tablespoon or two of water to the dough; or, if the dough seems too wet, add a few tablespoons of flour. This dough should feel smooth, soft and only slightly sticky.

To initially ferment the dough: Place the dough in the cleaned, warmed bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough ferment for 1 hour, or until just slightly puffed.

To prepare the apples: While dough is fermenting, prepare the apples. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut each quarter lengthwise in half, then cut each slice across into two pieces if the apple was medium size; if the apple was large, cut each slice into three pieces. You should end up with large squarish apple chunks.

Measure 4 1/2 heaping cups of the chunks and reserve them in a covered container. (Braeburns do not brown excessively, but if you are using another variety and are concerned with overbrowning, toss a few drops of lemon juice into the apples.)

To roll out dough and add the apples: Sprinkle the dough and your work surface with flour and pull out the dough. Cut the dough in half into two equal pieces, keeping one piece covered while you work with the other. Roll out the dough into an 1/8-inch thick, 16-inch square. Scatter 1 heaping cup of the apples over the center third of the dough, then fold up the bottom third to cover it.

Press the dough into the apples to try to seal the dough around the apples. Scatter another heaping up over the lower half of the dough — onto the second layer of dough — and fold the top of the dough over both layers to create a very stuffed letter fold. Press down on the dough to try to push out any air pockets and to seal the dough around the apples.

Roll the dough up into a chunky cylinder, push the dough into a rising container with the smooth side up, and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat with the other pieces of dough, using a second rising container. Continue fermenting both doughs for about another hour or until they have risen slightly and are very soft.

To shape and proof the dough: Oil two 8-inch round or 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Using as much dusting flour as you need, pat each dough half as best as you can into a rough round or log shape, trying to keep the smooth skin intact over the top. You will not be able to deflate the dough much at this point because of the apples. Slip the dough into the pans smooth side up and cover them well with plastic wrap. If desired, refrigerate the shaped loaves for up to 24 hours (which will only intensify their flavor). Let the loaves proof until they have crested their containers, in about 30 minutes (add up to another hour if the loaves were refrigerated).

Immediately after shaping the breads, arrange an oven rack on the lower third position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To bake the loaves: When the loaves have risen over the edge of the container and do not push back when gently pressed with your finger but remain indented, brush them with a generous tablespoon of oil each, then sprinkle them with a few tablespoons of sugar to form a nice sugary-oily crust. Bake the breads for 45 to 55 minutes. After 40 minutes of baking, switch the pans from side to side so that the breads brown evenly and bake from 5 to 15 minutes more. When the loaves are very well-browned, remove them from the oven, unmold them, and let them cool on a rack.

Per serving: 280 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 7 grams protein, 48 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 40 milligrams cholesterol, 280 milligrams sodium.

--From "A Blessing of Bread" by Maggie Glezer (Artisan, $35), due out Nov. 1.