Ingredients
1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
A pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
4 ounces cream cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/4 cup luke warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Step by step
In a small saucepan combine the butter and milk. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid and let sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the sugar, 1 3/4 cups of the flour and salt. Add in the milk-butter mixture and yeast mixture and stir by hand until thick dough starts to form. Mix in the eggs. Add in the rest of the flour and continue to stir until a smooth but sticky dough forms. Shape into a ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Once risen, punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 5 minutes. At this time, I recommend preheating your KitchenAid® 5-Element Electric Convection Slide-In Range with Baking Drawer to 350° F.
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Mix together the cream cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
After the dough is done resting, pat it into a rough rectangle and roll out into a 12-inch square. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cream cheese.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 strips. Stack the strips onto each other, then cut the stack into four equal squares. This will leave you with 4 stacks that are 4 squares high.
Grease a KitchenAid® Nonstick 9×5″ Loaf Pan with baking spray. Place each stack on its side in the Loaf Pan, gently separating the dough layers. Tuck the apple slices between the stacks.
Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place until the dough almost doubles, about 30-45 minutes.
Place the Loaf Pan in your preheated Convection Slide-In Range and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40-45 minutes. If the bread is browning too fast, tent foil over the Loaf Pan.
Let the bread cool in the Loaf Pan for 15 minutes. Using a bread knife, loosen the pan and remove to a plate.