Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe

This Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread is a perfect way to enjoy the flavors of the fall season. The layers of baked sweet and soft bread and filling of juicy apples are beautiful and delicious!

Thankfully, plenty of apples can be found year round at most grocery store without a trip to the local apple orchard, you can enjoy this whenever the mood strikes!

In this post you will learn how to make these Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread with my Sourdough Sweet and Soft Bread Master Recipe. Bookmark the master recipe so that you can use for other creative sourdough bread recipes!

How to make Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The process of making this savory sourdough recipe has the following steps: Ingredients, Starter preparation, Making the dough, Kneading, Bulk fermentation, Preparing the Skillet and filling, Shaping, Proofing, Baking, Cooling, and Topping.

Ingredients

As I mentioned, the base enriched dough is my Sourdough Sweet and Soft Bread Master Recipe so it is easy to make and very adaptable.

See the video process for how to make the master dough recipe here:

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Starter Preparation for Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

You will need a healthy, established sourdough starter for making this recipe. If you need to buy one or make one, here are my resources to get started!

With your sourdough starter, you can use active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard, add one tablespoon to a container that is at least 1-pint in size. Then feed it with water and all-purpose flour. You can use bread flour instead, I use all-purpose flour because it is less expensive for this step.

Let the starter sit at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours until it is doubled in volume, full of large bubbles, and smells fragrant like ripe fruit.

The time range will depend on the room temperature in your kitchen, starting temperature of ingredients, and weather.

Learn more about sourdough starters in these posts:

• What is a sourdough starter?
• How to Know When your Sourdough Starter is Ready (8 signs)

Making the Sourdough Soft and Sweet Dough

Provided that your starter is active and ready, the first step to prepare the dough is scalding the milk. This neutralizes proteins in the milk that can conflict with good fermentation.

Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation. Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the pot. Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don’t let it foam.

Transfer 100g of your scalded milk to the bowl of a stand mixer, large bowl, or a separate glass carafe to cool down to 90-100 degrees F.

While it’s cooling, use a separate large bowl to mix together the flour and salt.

Place the water into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cooled milk.

Then, add the sugar, 100g of the active sourdough starter, and flour mixture. Stir with a dough hook attachment about 4 times around the bowl or with a large spoon if you are mixing by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until ingredients are beginning to combine and it looks like a shaggy dough mixture. Add the vanilla and egg (if you’d prefer to omit the vanilla for this savory recipe, you can. It won’t impact the texture of the final dough).

Continue mixing the dough until it becomes completely combined and soft. Make sure to scrape your mixing bowl with a bench scraper at various points.

Kneading the Sourdough Soft and Sweet Dough

Once all the ingredients except the softened unsalted butter are added, it is time to knead your dough into a smooth, soft ball.

When using a stand mixer, use low to medium-low speed (I recommend the lowest 2-3 speeds) to knead your dough. It will take 5 to 8 minutes to get combined and soft until it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Kneading by hand will take 8 to 12 minutes.

Now, it is time to knead in the softened unsalted butter. Add it one tablespoon at a time with kneading in between each addition.

Continue kneading until the butter is completely incorporated into your dough and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl or kneading surface and is a soft smooth ball.

Bulk Fermentation for Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Place your bread dough into an airtight container or use a large clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. I like to use a 4-qt Cambro container like this one for bulk fermentation because it is easy to use and see the dough rise and gauge when the dough has doubled in volume.

Keep your dough at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours for the bulk fermentation or first rise until it doubles. For clarity on when this stage is done, see this post.

Time Planning Help for Sourdough Baking

The #1 need for sourdough bakers is help with time planning, so I created a resource for you.

Sourdough Time Planning Workbook: Perfect for new or experienced bakers, this workbook includes 8 templates ready to fill in and a baking journal. The templates cover 4 different ways to make classic sourdough country breads, 3 time planning worksheets for enriched sourdough bread depending on serving time target, and a blank template. The baking journal goes over baker’s percentages and how to take notes on your sourdough bakes.

Get a free sample of the workbook: Use this sourdough time planning worksheet sample to simplify your baking.

Preparing the Skillet and Apple Cinnamon Filling

First, prepare a 10 to 12-inch cast-iron skillet. You can substitute a large pie dish if you don’t have a skillet.

Rub 1 tablespoon butter on the inside of the skillet, covering the bottom and up the edges of the pan. Sprinkle a light coating of flour over the butter. This helps your sourdough apple cinnamon bread release more easily from the skillet.

Next, prepare the filling. Peel apple then cut into thin strips that are 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick and about 1-inch wide. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together.

USA-made Lodge cast iron is an excellent tool to have in your kitchen for this recipe: 12-inch Lodge cast-iron skillet

Shaping Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

To shape the dough, lightly flour a work surface. Place dough on work surface. Dust flour onto a rolling pin and roll dough until it is a 12-inch by 12-inch square that is 1⁄2-inch thick.

Next, take the softened butter for the filling and rub onto the rolled out dough by hand until it is completely covered. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough evenly until it is gone.

Use a pizza cutter or bread knife to cut the dough vertically into 12 1-inch wide strips. Starting with the center strips (the outside edges are usually smaller and should be saved for last), place strip cut-side down in the pan and curl strip into a loose spiral with the cinnamon sugar coated side facing in, in the center of the pan. There should be about 1⁄4-inch of room left between the spiraled strip layers for the dough to rise and for the apples to fit. Take the next strip, place it in the pan with the cut-side down and cinnamon sugar coated side facing toward the dough spiral that’s forming. Pinch the ends together and continue the spiral.

Continue with remaining strips of dough. When final strip is placed in pan, pinch the end of the strip to the outside of the spiral to close the pattern. Then, take apple slices and start at center of spiral and place apples in between every layer until it is filled.

Note: I use a French Rolling Pin from USA based company Earlywood Designs. It is my favorite one and does a great job on rolling the edges of dough. You can check it out in several colors here: French rolling pin

Proofing Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Baking Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Place pan into oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, check pan after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if the top is browning too quickly. The bread should have a golden brown top and the internal temperature of the bread should be 190-195 degrees F.

Cooling Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Topping Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cut the skillet sourdough apple cinnamon bread into pie-shaped pieces and serve!

Other Filling Alternatives

While this lighter version of apple pie filling is delicious, here are a few ideas to switch it up:

• Cinnamon Roll Filling see one of my cinnamon roll or cinnamon twist bread recipes for a recipe
• Chocolate filling
• Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Herbs (minced rosemary would be delicious)
• Cheddar Cheese and Chives or combination of fresh herbs
• Pear slices and spices

If you try another combination, I’d love to know in the comments!

4 Reasons to Make this ASAP

1. These are easy to make because they start with a 100% hydration active sourdough starter which is the type of sourdough starter most sourdough bakers learn to use first! Rather than a stiff starter or sweet sourdough starter.
2. If you refresh your starter every day for the chance to bake something, you might be ready to make these now.
3. The ingredients are probably things you have on hand right now. You may even want to double it!
4. The process and timing is similar to other sourdough bread recipes, no extra long fermentation windows due to a high fat percentage brioche dough.

6 tips for the best bake

1. This recipe uses a 100% hydration starter. This style of starter is familiar to most sourdough bakers making it easier to attempt this recipe.
2. *You may have noticed I used all-purpose flour in this recipe, not bread flour. All-purpose flour makes these Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread softer and less chewy than bread flour. It also helps the sugar and juices from the apples infuse the soft and sweet sourdough with even more flavor.
3. Timing in sourdough is key. See this post on time planning or check out my Sourdough Time Planning Workbook & Baking Journal
4. Dough that has perfectly fermented, should not be sticky after the bulk ferment. Only a very light amount of dusting flour should be needed during shaping.
5. I love the flavor of sweet apples for everyday snacking, but tart apples like the granny smith variety will give you better results. Make sure to use fresh apples.
6. The fresher your spices, the better your cinnamon flavor will come through in your sweet bread. Here’s my favorite source for fresh and organic spices: Starwest. When using ground spices like ground cinnamon, those spices degrade in flavor and potency much faster than whole spices so make sure you replace them every 1-2 years.
7. See the different savory filling ideas for inspiration to make these your own special creation and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Benefits and Differences of Sourdough in this Apple Cinnamon Bread

The sourdough version of this savory roll recipe creates incredible flavor and texture, which makes it a treat for knowledgable foodies. Additionally, sourdough recipes and the long fermentation creates more digestible savory rolls.

There are some major differences you will see between these Skillet Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread and traditional enriched breads made with conventional yeast. The original version of this recipe was featured in my book Celebrate with Bread Baking with instant yeast added.

The biggest difference is the timing. The timing with using natural yeast from sourdough is about 3 times longer.

Due to the shorter fermentation in conventional yeast recipes, those recipes add more sugar and sometimes butter/fat to create more flavor in the shorter timeframe. Sourdough recipes have the advantage of the long fermentation for incredible flavors to develop without loading our dough with sugar.

Here are the sourdough benefits listed for you:

• Sourdough breaks down the gluten proteins into smaller pieces during the long fermentation which means less stomach and digestive irritation. Learn more about sourdough here or get my free sourdough quick start guide.
• Sourdough breads begin with a starter or levain which is a mixture of flour, water, and sourdough starter that ferments for 6-12 hours on average to develop an incredible intense flavor that enhances every ingredient in the bread!
• Because sourdough breads ferment for a long time, flavor naturally develops as carbohydrates in the bread are broken down into simpler sugars. This means that less sugar is used in the dough formula.
• Sourdough timelines are more forgiving than conventional yeast timelines. Breads made with conventional yeast can overproof if a timeline is missed; which happens easily due to the high amount of yeast organisms and sugar that are added to the dough.

Savor and Share

Share this easy recipe with a friend for a delicious way to begin a special morning! This sourdough recipe from my master recipe helps give sourdough bakers an advantage in the kitchen by making sourdough baking feel easier!

After you try it, send me a note, leave a review comment, or tag me on facebook or instagram @livingbreadbaker

I love seeing how people connect with people they love through bread.

More great recipes

Don’t forget that the base dough can be used for so much more! Check out the post on how to use this versatile dough here:

• Easy Sweet & Soft Sourdough Bread Master Recipe
• Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Soft and Fluffy)
• Easy & Soft Savory Sourdough Cheese Twist Rolls

And here are some other sourdough apple bread and fall season recipes to inspire your baking:

• Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread Fall Sourdough Recipe to get a healthier sourdough twist on apple fritters
• Pumpkin Spice Scones (Sourdough Discard)
• Pumpkin Rolls (Sourdough)
• Sourdough Cinnamon Twist Wreath Bread
• Sourdough Pan Dulce Conchas (Sweet Shell Bread)
• Sourdough Kanelbullar
• Sourdough Chai Spice Star Bread Recipe

Need more sourdough help?

Living Bread Baker posts mentioned

When is sourdough bulk fermentation finished?

When is sourdough finished proofing?

What is a sourdough starter?

Easy Sweet & Soft Sourdough Bread Master Recipe

Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread Fall Sourdough Recipe to get a healthier sourdough twist on apple fritters

Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Soft and Fluffy)

Pumpkin Spice Scones (Sourdough Discard)

Easy & Soft Savory Sourdough Cheese Twist Rolls

Pumpkin Rolls (Sourdough)

Sourdough Cinnamon Twist Wreath Bread

Pan Dulce Conchas with sourdough (Sweet Shell Bread)

Kanelbullar made with sourdough

Sourdough Chai Spice Star Bread Recipe

Shop this post

12-inch Lodge cast-iron skillet

4-qt Cambro container

Earlywood Designs French rolling pin

pizza cutter

Food scale

Parchment baking sheets

FREE Sourdough Quick Start Guide

Sourdough Time Planning Workbook

My Intro. to Sourdough online course

My sourdough starter

Breadtopia live starter

Cultures for Health starter

Sourdough Time Planning Workbook & Baking Journal

This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Print Recipe

Skillet Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Swirl Bread

Author: Jenny Prior

Ingredients

Starter

• 15-20 g sourdough starter 1 T.
• 60 grams all-purpose or bread flour 7 tablespoons
• 60 grams water 1/4 cup

Dough

• 100 g whole milk warmed (see step 2)
• 40 g water
• 30 g sugar
• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 375 g all purpose flour
• 4 g vanilla 1 t.
• 7 g salt 1 t.
• 1 egg
• 45 g unsalted butter, softened 3 T.

Filling

• 1 granny smith apple
• 40 grams sugar 3 tablespoons
• 3 grams cinnamon 1 teaspoon
• Pinch ground clove
• 14 grams unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon

Vanilla icing

• 65 grams powdered sugar about 1/2 cup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 3 teaspoons milk
• 28 grams unsalted butter, very soft 2 tablespoons

Instructions

Starter Prep

• Put one tablespoon of sourdough starter into a clean container or pint size jar. Feed it with 60g water and 60g white flour. Stir until no dry flour is left. Let it sit at room temp 6-12 hours until active (doubled in volume, full of large bubbles, and smells fragrant like ripe fruit)

Making the Dough

• Scald the milk: Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation. Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the pot. Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don't let it foam. Transfer 100g of your scalded milk to the bowl of a stand mixer, large bowl, or a separate glass carafe to cool down to 90-100 degrees F.
• Place the water into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cooled milk. Then, add the sugar, 100g of the active sourdough starter, and flour mixture. Stir with a dough hook attachment about 4 times around the bowl or with a large spoon if you are mixing by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until ingredients are beginning to combine and it looks like a shaggy dough mixture. Add the vanilla and egg. Continue mixing the dough until it becomes completely combined and soft.

Kneading the Dough

• Knead your dough into a smooth, soft ball. It will take 5 to 8 minutes to get combined and soft until it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Kneading by hand will take 8 to 12 minutes.
• Now, it is time to knead in the softened unsalted butter. Add it one tablespoon at a time with kneading in between each addition. Continue kneading until the butter is completely incorporated into your dough and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl or kneading surface and is a soft smooth ball.

Bulk Fermentation

• Place your cinnamon roll dough into an airtight container or use a large clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. Keep your dough at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours for the bulk fermentation or first rise until it doubles.
• Prepare a 10 to 12-inch cast-iron skillet. You can substitute a large pie dish if you don't have a skillet. Rub 1 tablespoon butter on the inside of the skillet, covering the bottom and up the edges of the pan. Sprinkle a light coating of flour over the butter.
• Prepare the filling: Peel apple then cut into thin strips that are 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick and about 1-inch wide. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together.

Shaping Skillet Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Swirl Bread

• To shape the dough, lightly flour a work surface. Place dough on work surface. Dust flour onto a rolling pin and roll dough until it is a 12-inch by 12-inch square that is 1⁄2-inch thick.
• Next, take the softened butter for the filling and rub onto the rolled out dough by hand until it is completely covered. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough evenly until it is gone.
• Use a pizza cutter or bread knife to cut the dough vertically into 12 1-inch wide strips. Starting with the center strips (the outside edges are usually smaller and should be saved for last), place strip cut-side down in the pan and curl strip into a loose spiral with the cinnamon sugar coated side facing in, in the center of the pan. There should be about 1⁄4-inch of room left between the spiraled strip layers for the dough to rise and for the apples to fit. Take the next strip, place it in the pan with the cut-side down and cinnamon sugar coated side facing toward the dough spiral that’s forming. Pinch the ends together and continue the spiral.
• Continue with remaining strips of dough. When final strip is placed in pan, pinch the end of the strip to the outside of the spiral to close the pattern. Then, take apple slices and start at center of spiral and place apples in between every layer until it is filled.

Proofing Skillet Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Swirl Bread

• Cover the sourdough apple cinnamon bread with plastic wrap. Let the covered dough sit at room temperature for the proof or second rise for 1.5 to 4 hours. The spiraled apple cinnamon bread should rise and spread until 1.5 to 2 times larger. The dough should feel soft to touch.

Baking Skillet Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Swirl Bread

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure to use regular bake, not convection.
• Place pan into oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, check pan after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if the top is browning too quickly. The bread should have a golden brown top and the internal temperature of the bread should be 190-195 degrees F.
• Cool 20 minutes before adding the vanilla glaze topping.
• As the bread is cooling, prepare the vanilla glaze icing. Whisk together vanilla icing ingredients until it is a drizzling consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the bread. I like to create an alternating zigzag or spiral pattern.
• Cut the skillet sourdough apple cinnamon bread into pie-shaped pieces and serve!