Maine Apple Bread

Straight out of a New England farmhouse kitchen, this apple bread uses sour milk and baking powder to create a tender, cake-like crumb without any yeast or rise time. The apples stay unpeeled, which adds flecks of red throughout each slice and keeps a bit of texture against the soft bread.

Creaming the shortening and sugar first is key. That step traps air into the batter, giving the loaf its lift since there’s no butter here weighing things down. The sour milk reacts with the baking soda to create extra rise, so mix those two together before adding them in.

Chopped walnuts scattered through the batter give each slice a nutty crunch. Use a firm apple variety like Cortland or McIntosh (both grown all over Maine) so the pieces hold their shape during the long bake rather than turning to mush.

Pro Tips

• No sour milk? Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit 5 minutes
• Test for doneness with a toothpick at 55 minutes. The center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs
• Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Slicing too early will crumble it
• Wraps well in plastic and tastes even better the next day as the apple flavor deepens

Variations

• Replace walnuts with pecans for a sweeter, more buttery nut flavor
• Fold in a handful of raisins or dried cranberries for a fruit-forward loaf
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a spiced autumn version