The BEST Fall Loaf is Here: Apple Crumble Pie Sourdough with a Baked Crumb Topping

There is no better feeling than coming home from a crisp afternoon at the apple orchard with a bag full of fresh apples and big baking plans. While traditional apple pies and crisps are classic choices, combining those warm autumn flavors with a slow-fermented, rustic sourdough loaf baked right in a sandwich pan takes cozy fall baking to an entirely new level.

Imagine slicing into a soft, cinnamon-infused sourdough loaf filled with pockets of tender, spiced apple pie filling, layered with crunchy baked crumb topping, and crowned with even more buttery streusel. It bakes up into the ultimate sandwich-style loaf that will fill your entire kitchen with the irresistible aroma of fall.

Grab your starter, fire up the stove, and let’s bake the perfect loaf to kick off apple picking season!

What Makes This Loaf So Special?

Baking a sweet, filled sourdough in a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan gives you the best of both worlds: the rustic chew and deep flavor of wild yeast, combined with the easy, sliceable shape of a sandwich loaf.

Here are the three elements that make this loaf an absolute showstopper:

1. Cinnamon-Infused Base: We add ground cinnamon directly into the flour during the initial mix. This colors the dough with a warm amber hue and infuses every bite with cozy spice.
2. Double-Texture Crumb Topping: Half of the cinnamon-sugar streusel is pre-baked in the oven until crisp before being laminated inside the dough alongside the apple filling. The remaining half is sprinkled raw over the top right before baking, creating a dual-layer crunch!
3. The Foil-Dome Baking Technique: Because this loaf bakes in a bread pan rather than a Dutch oven, we create a custom aluminum foil “tent” over the top. This traps steam for maximum oven spring during the first half of the bake while protecting the sweet crumb topping from burning.

How to Enjoy Your Apple Crumble Pie Sourdough

Once the loaf finishes baking and cools completely on a wire rack, the options are endless:

• Toasted with Salted Butter: Slather a thick warm slice with salted butter—the contrast against the sweet apple filling is pure heaven.
• The Ultimate Fall French Toast: Dip slices into a vanilla-cinnamon egg batter and pan-fry for the most decadent breakfast imaginable.
• Drizzled with Caramel: Top a warm slice with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.

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Apple Crumble Pie Sourdough

Created by Sue Mun

Makes One, Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients:

For the Sourdough:

• 88g ripe starter
• 280g water
• 400g bread flour 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8g salt

For the Apple Pie Filling:

• 325g apples (about 2 apples), peel cored and small diced
• 2 tbsp butter 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 55g brown sugar, packed 
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Cornstarch slurry: 1 tsp cornstarch plus 1 tsp water

For the Crumb Topping:

• 85g unsalted butter, melted
• 90g all-purpose flour
• 80g brown sugar 
• 40g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Inclusions:

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup apple pie filling, cooled down
• baked crumb topping

Instructions:

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, mix together the warm water and the ripe sourdough starter.
2. Add in the bread flour, ground cinnamon, and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
   1. Stretch and fold #1. Using wet hands, stretch the dough into itself about 6-8 times or until gluten develops. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   2. Stretch and fold #2. Using wet hands, stretch and fold the dough into itself until it can not stretch anymore. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   3. Stretch and fold #3. Repeat the steps from above. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. 
   4. Stretch and fold #4. Repeat the steps from above. 
4. Cover and bulk ferment for 6-10 hours. Or until the dough has doubled in size and the dough peels away the sides of the bowl easily. If not, continue to proof longer. 

Make the Apple Pie Filling:

1. While the dough proofs, make the apple pie filling. In a medium pot, add in the chopped apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the apples begin to soften and releasee its juices. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir and cook for another 1 minute until the mixture thickens
2. Pour the apple pie filling in a bowl and set aside in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Make the Crumb Topping:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, both sugars, ground cinnamon, salt, and the melted butter. Mix everything together until the dough comes together into a crumble.
2. Set aside half of the crumb topping mixture and store in the fridge. Meanwhile, bake the remaining half of the crumb topping on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to cool off completely before setting it aside in a bowl at room temperature.

Shape the Dough:

1. IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Your 9×5 inch bread pan should be at least 5 inches tall or else the loaf may spill over as it bakes.
2. Flip the dough over and gently stretch to a long rectangle. Spread the apple pie filling evenly on top of the dough. Then sprinkle on top the ground cinnamon and the baked crumb topping.
3. Perform a book fold and seal at the seams to prevent any of the filling from escaping. Then gently and tightly roll up the log into a ball.
4. Then gently push/pull dough into a tight round in a candy cane motion. Careful not to tear the dough.
5. Gently place the dough onto a 12 inch square parchment paper and gently place it into a tall 9×5 inch bread pan. The pan should be at least 5 inches tall or else the loaf may spill over when it bakes.
6. Gently pull the edges of the dough into the center of the dough. Just so it adds tension to the dough and helps improve oven spring when it bakes. 
7. Cover and proof in the fridge overnight (8-10 hours)

The Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Flip onto silpat or parchment and gently score the top of the dough using a lame knife. Sprinkle some unbaked crumb topping on top of the bread. Then using aluminum foil, cover the top of the bread pan completely with the foil but make sure that it does not touch the top of the bread. You want the foil to be like a dome shaped tent that’s covering the bread pan.
3. Bake at 450F for 25 minutes.
4. Lower the oven to 425F. Remove the foil and bake again for about 15 more minutes. Or until the internal temp is above 190F.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.