Apple Danish Braid - Lorraine D. Hebler

Frosted Apple Danish Braid made easy with dough from Bread Machine. Filled with cinnamon and apples and topped with frosting and toasted almonds. Breakfast or snack treat!

There is something wonderful about baking with yeast. The aroma that fills the house is just a prelude to the soft sweet bread that it produces. Using a bread machine to make the dough takes all of the work and uncertainty out of preparing this really lovely Frosted Apple Danish Braid.

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Using the bread machine

Of course, you can make the dough using a mixer and allowing it to rise in a warm place but it takes just a couple of minutes to add the ingredients to the bread machine. Turn it on and in about 90 minutes, you have a beautiful sweet bread dough.

Underneath the frosting and toasted almonds, this apple Danish bread has a filling of sweet cinnamon apples.

I get 16 slices from this large apple Danish but if you prefer, you can divide the dough in half and make two smaller loaves.

Frosted Apple Danish Braid

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Dough Ingredients:

1 large egg plus enough water to equal 1 cup
1/4 cup butter at room temp.
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups Bread flour
3 Tbs. nonfat Dry milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. bread machine yeast

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Dough Instructions:

Place dough ingredients in the bread machine pan in order listed above or according to your bread machine manufactures suggestions.

Set on Basic Dough.

When cycle is completed, remove dough from bread pan onto a lightly floured board. Cover with inverted bowl or towel and allow to rest 5-10 minutes.

Making the filling

While the dough is resting, prepare the apple filling by tossing the chopped apples and raisins with other filling ingredients; set aside. If you prepare the filling too soon, the mixture will get too juicy.

Apple Filling

3 cups peeled and thinly sliced or diced apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 tsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp butter, melted
tiny pinch salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 Tbs Milk or cream, more or less to desired drizzling consistency.
Toasted almonds (optional)

Filling and Braiding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into a rectangle about 24-inch x 12-inch. I find it easiest to roll the dough on a baking sheet covered with a silicone mat so I do not have to transfer the bread. My mat measures 11.5 x 16.5-inches which is smaller but works really well. You can roll the dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully transfer to a lightly greased baking pan after filling with the apple mixture and sealing the dough. To do it this way, carefully place two large turners under each end of the filled dough and lift to baking pan. It’s up to you which way you prefer.

NOTE: The dough can be divided in half to make 2 loaves, if desired.

Spoon filling down center of the dough.

Make evenly spaced cuts along each side of the dough.

Arrange pieces of dough over filling alternating strips from each side, pinching to keep strips together. Fold and seal ends so juices do not leak out while baking.

Cover with a clean towel and allow dough to rise a second time, in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until nearly double.

Ready for the oven

Remove towel and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. (tent with foil if browning too quickly). Here is the loaf after rising and ready to go into the oven to bake.

This is how the bread looks just out of the oven!

Making the glaze

In a small bowl, stir together the glaze ingredients.

Drizzle frosting on the cooled bread.

If desired, toast almonds and sprinkle on top of bread after drizzling on the frosting.

Instead of making a braided loaf, you can make an Apple Danish Bread by folding the sides of dough over the filling, pinch the edges to seal and tuck and pinch the ends under dough so apples and juices are completely sealed in the dough. In addition, you can add raisins and nuts to the apple mixture if you like.

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