Apple Cinnamon Chop Bread

Four ingredients and a sharp knife. That’s all it takes for this rustic pull-apart bread loaded with cinnamon-sugar apples. Frozen sweet bread dough does the foundational work, so you skip mixing, kneading, and all the guesswork of working with yeast from scratch.

The “chop” technique is what makes this fun. After piling sugar-tossed apple slices onto risen dough, you draw the edges up around the fruit, then hack through the whole bundle with a knife in a crosshatch pattern. Lift from the bottom, pile on top, and mound it all back into a rough circle. The result bakes into a craggy, golden loaf where every piece of dough has apple and cinnamon baked into its crevices.

Letting the apples macerate in cinnamon sugar for 30 minutes before assembling is a smart move. They soften slightly and release juice, but you drain that juice off so the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Chef Tips

• Use Golden Delicious apples. They hold their shape during baking better than softer varieties like McIntosh.
• Drain the apple juice off with a slotted spoon before piling onto the dough. That liquid will make the bottom of the bread gummy.
• Let the bread cool on the baking sheet for a full 10 minutes. Moving it too early and the bottom tears.
• Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge if you want to bake first thing in the morning.

Variations

• Add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts with the apples for crunch.
• Drizzle a simple powdered sugar glaze over the top after baking for a sweeter finish.
• Use Granny Smith apples instead of Golden Delicious for a tarter, more pronounced apple flavor.