Apple Juice Bread: No-Knead Loaf with a Golden Crust
Apple Juice Bread
Apple Juice Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) plain flour, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1¾ cups apple cider
- 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 ¼-oz. packet rapid-rise yeast (roughly 2¼ tsp.)
- Neutral oil (for coating scissors)
Instructions
Step 1
Grab a large bowl and dump in your 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1¾ cups of apple juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1¾ teaspoons if you're using Morton), and one 2¼-teaspoon packet of instant yeast. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon or your hands until the flour is just barely wet and you're left with a messy, shaggy dough that looks more like a rough paste than a smooth ball — this should take about a minute. Don't worry about lumps or dry spots; we're not looking for perfection here. Once it's combined, slap some plastic wrap over the bowl and set it on your counter for 15 minutes to let the flour fully hydrate and the yeast wake up.
Step 2
Place a small bowl of room-temperature water on your work surface so you can easily reach it. Uncover the dough and dip your hand into the water, then lift one edge of the dough up and stretch it over to meet the opposite side. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat—fold, turn, fold, turn—until you've done four folds total. This is your first full fold, and if the dough doesn't quite reach the other side every time, just stretch it as far as you can toward the center. If the dough starts sticking to your hands, wet them again and shake off the excess water before continuing. Once you've finished, cover the bowl and set a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, uncover and repeat the entire folding process for a second full fold, then cover and rest another 30 minutes. Do this one more time—fold, rest 30 minutes—and by the third fold, you'll notice the dough has transformed into something much smoother and tighter, almost silky to the touch.
Step 3
Time to give your dough some shape. Turn it out onto a well-floured counter — don't be shy with the flour here, you want your dough sliding around easily, not sticking. Pat it into a round and fold the edges into the center, then flip it seam-side down and use your hands to tuck and tighten it into a smooth, taut ball. This tension is what helps your loaf hold its shape as it rises. Now for the cozy part. Dust the top of your dough ball generously with flour, then grab a clean kitchen towel and flour that too — this keeps everything from sticking. Drape the floured towel into a large bowl with high sides so it lines the whole thing like a little hammock. Gently place your dough ball in there, seam side up (this lets the seam seal as it rises), then pull the towel edges up and over the dough. Cover the whole bowl tightly with plastic wrap and find a warm spot in your kitchen — I like the top of the fridge or near a sunny window. Let it sit until the dough looks puffy and alive, about 45 minutes. You're looking for it to feel light and airy when you give it a gentle poke.
Step 4
First, grab your Dutch oven and set it on a rack in the middle of your oven—we're going to let it get ripping hot at 400°F. While that's heating, lay a 12-inch square of parchment paper on your counter and snip a 2-inch slit from each corner toward the center; this little trick helps the paper wrap around your dough without bunching up. If you have a flat plate handy, slide the parchment onto it so you can easily tip your dough out later. Now for the delicate part: gently turn your dough out right onto the center of the parchment, doing your best not to deflate all that beautiful rise you've worked for. Working quickly—before the dough starts to warm up and relax—grab a pair of kitchen shears lightly coated in vegetable oil and cut a shallow X right in the center of the loaf; this gives the bread a gorgeous split as it bakes. Carefully pull the hot Dutch oven out of the oven, then lower your dough (still on the parchment) straight into the pot. Pop the lid on and slide it back into the oven—you're almost there!
Step 5
After 35 minutes in the oven, carefully remove the lid from your pot—this is when the magic really starts to happen. Drop the oven temperature down to 375°F and slide the bread back in uncovered. You're looking for a deep, mahogany crust that sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, which should take another 35 to 40 minutes. Once it's there, gently tip the loaf out onto a wire rack and resist the urge to slice into it right away—give it a full hour to cool so the crumb sets properly.
Nutrition Information
My Tip
Warm apple juice activates the yeast faster, so if your kitchen runs cool, give that first 15-minute rest a full 20 minutes — you'll know it's ready when the shaggy dough looks slightly puffed and smells faintly sweet.
Leftovers
This bread keeps beautifully wrapped in a clean kitchen towel inside a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days — the paper lets it breathe so the crust stays crisp instead of turning soggy. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to a month. To reheat, pop slices straight into a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes, or toast until the edges turn golden and the apple sweetness wakes back up.
Make It Your Own
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 50/50 blend of whole wheat and all-purpose — you'll keep that tender crumb but add a nutty, toasty depth that makes the apple flavor really sing.