Quick Apple Bread

This is a no-yeast quick bread, the kind that comes together in one bowl and is on your counter in just over an hour. Shortening rather than butter is the choice here for a finer, more uniformly tender crumb that stays soft for days.

Leaving the apple peels on is a flavor and color bonus. The peels add fiber, fleck the loaf with reddish bits, and break down enough during baking that you don’t notice the texture. Use red-skinned apples like Gala, Fuji, or Empire for the prettiest result.

Chop the apples small, no bigger than ½ inch dice. Larger pieces sink to the bottom of the loaf and turn into mushy pockets, while smaller chunks distribute evenly through the batter.

Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Stir just until the streaks disappear or you’ll develop gluten and end up with a dense, tough loaf. A few small lumps are fine, they bake out.

The shortening creams differently from butter. Beat it longer with the sugar than you would butter, until light and almost white in color, that’s how you build the structure that supports the apple chunks.

Pro Tips

• Sprinkle a tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar over the top before baking for a sweet, crackly crust.
• Test with a toothpick at 45 minutes, the apple moisture varies and can change baking time.
• Cool in the pan 10 minutes before turning out, this keeps the loaf from breaking apart.
• Wrap tightly in plastic and the loaf stays moist for 4 days at room temperature.

Variations

• Add ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries with the apples for chewy bursts.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of grated ginger along with the cinnamon for warmth.
• Drizzle with a thin powdered sugar and apple cider glaze after cooling for bakery-style finish.