Apple Honey Challah Pull-Apart Bread
This apple honey challah pull-apart bread is soft, sweet, and filled with cinnamon apples, brown sugar, and honey. It is a beautiful Rosh Hashanah bread recipe, holiday brunch loaf, or homemade treat for sharing.
Ingredients
For the challah dough
- ¾ cup warm water about 105°F to 110°F / 40°C to 43°C
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast one standard packet, or instant yeast
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, or light olive oil
- 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
For the cinnamon apple filling
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and diced into small ¼-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
For the egg wash and honey glaze
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon honey optional, for brushing the warm baked loaf
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and honey. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast, continue directly to the next step.
- Add the eggs and oil. Whisk until combined.
- Add 3½ cups flour and the salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 6 to 8 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining flour only as needed. The dough should be smooth, soft, and slightly tacky.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1½ hours, until doubled in size or noticeably puffy.
- While the dough rises, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour or cornstarch, and lemon juice, if using. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
- Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon apple filling evenly over the butter.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal rectangles or squares. Stack the pieces loosely, then stand the stack upright in the prepared loaf pan so the cut layers face upward.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise again for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water and gently brush the egg wash over the risen dough.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until deeply golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil during the final 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift it out, then cool on a wire rack.
- Brush the warm bread with 1 tablespoon honey, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use Honeycrisp, Gala, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples for the best apple filling texture.
- Dice apples finely so the pieces fit between the dough layers and bake evenly.
- Bread flour gives the challah more structure; all-purpose flour creates a softer loaf.
- Avoid adding too much flour while kneading, or the challah can become dry and dense.
- For overnight dough, refrigerate the covered dough after kneading. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before rolling and shaping.
- Add ½ cup raisins or chopped walnuts or pecans to the apple filling for variation.
- Store cooled challah tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cooled slices in airtight packaging for up to 2 months for best quality. Toast or warm slices after thawing for the best texture.