Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

My Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe is a soft sweet bread with apple flavor, brown sugar, warm spices, and a rich salted caramel sauce.

I serve this apple pull-apart bread warm for a fall brunch or sweet treat, especially when I want the same apple-and-caramel pairing as Sourdough Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel.

Table of Contents

Quick Look: Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread

Prep Time: 8 hours
Second Proof: 3 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: ~315 kcal per slice (based on nutritional panel)
Cook Method: Baked
Flavor Profile: Fluffy, buttery pull-apart bread loaded with tender cinnamon-spiced apple pieces and a rich homemade salted caramel sauce. A cozy, shareable fall treat!
Difficulty: Intermediate — A few components to prep including the caramel sauce and apple filling, but the steps are straightforward and mostly hands-off!

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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

Cozy apple-caramel flavor: You get tender apple chunks, a cinnamon sugar mixture, and warm caramel glaze in every pull-apart slice. Reach for Best Sourdough Apple Fritters made with Discard and Sourdough Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls when you want more apple-forward fall baking.
Made to share: We bake the stacked dough in a loaf pan, so the slices separate easily at the table. We use the same shareable idea in Sourdough Cheese and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread.
Flexible for a planned bake: You can use a same-day schedule or let this enriched dough rest overnight before the final rise. We use similar make-ahead planning for Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.

Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

Sourdough Starter: This 100% sourdough recipe rises with the help of a bubbly and active sourdough starter.
Water: Be sure that the water isn’t warmer than 120 degrees F. Any warmer can kill your starter, which will prohibit your dough from rising.
Unsalted Butter: Adding butter to this recipe makes this everyday bread so soft. You can substitute for a 1:1 ratio with olive oil if preferred.
Sugar: for some sweetness and color! While the bread bakes, the crust will turn golden brown due to the Maillard reaction.
Flour: Bread flour has a higher gluten count, which helps this homemade sourdough bread keep its shape. Incorporating some white flour or all purpose flour keeps the bread nice and soft.
Salt: To enhance the overall flavor of the bread.

Filling

Dark brown sugar: Enhances the caramel flavors of this delicious loaf. Light brown sugar can be substituted.
Spices: A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves brings the perfect balance of warm spices.
Apples: My favorite apples to use are Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, but you can use any of your favorites.

Caramel

Sugar: Granulated Sugar or Pure Cane Sugar
Unsalted butter: Omit the salt if you use Salted Butter
Heavy cream: Brings the creaminess to this luscious caramel sauce.
Salt: I mean, it is called salted caramel!

Bake the Same Day

Time	Process
7:00 AM	Make the Dough
7:30 AM	Knead the Dough & Bulk Ferment
5:00 PM	Shape
5:00 PM	Second Rise
9:00 PM	Bake

Bake the Next Day

Time	Process
9:00 PM	Make the Dough
10:00 PM	Knead the Dough
10:00 PM	First Rise
Next Morning
7:00 AM	Shape
7:00 AM	Second rise
11:00 AM	Bake

How to Make Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the starter, warm water, melted butter, and sugar. Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients and mix with a Danish dough whisk until all the flour has been incorporated. The bread dough will be shaggy and a little sticky.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a tied plastic bag, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the gluten to relax a little bit.
First, wet your fingers so the dough doesn’t stick to them.
Then, take a piece of the bread dough, pull it upwards, and fold it towards the center of the dough. Push the heel of your hand into the dough.
Turn the bowl clockwise a quarter turn and repeat the same motion. Continue to knead the dough for about 20 seconds. The dough should become more stiff and smooth looking.
Grease another bowl with butter and place the dough with the seam side down.
Cover the bowl again and let the dough rise till doubled in size. In my 70-degree F kitchen, the bulk rise will take anywhere from 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is cooler, then this will take longer. If your kitchen is warmer, then it will take less time.
HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL: To a medium pot, add white sugar and bring to medium heat on the stovetop. Leave the sugar for a few minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt, continue to give it a stir. It will dissolve completely in about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, be sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
Once the sugar is melted, add in the room temperature butter, stirring vigorously. It will begin to bubble and rise. Continue to mix. It will take some stirring to incorporate the sugar and butter fully.
When the sugar and butter are combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while also stirring.
Continue to cook until the caramel begins to bubble and rise again.
Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool. Sprinkle in the salt and stir until combined. Set aside.
Peel and dice two large Honeycrisp apples inch ½ inch cubes. You don’t want the slices to be too big, otherwise, they won’t cook and be tender after baking. Set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the bowl cover and punch the dough. Do so by placing your fist in the center of the dough and pushing it downward. Punching the dough helps to release all the gas. This creates a tighter crumb that you want for sandwich bread.
Remove the dough onto a non-floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the bread dough into a large 12 x 12-inch square (it doesn’t need to be exact).
Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the sourdough cinnamon roll dough.

spread out cinnamon sugar onto the dough

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on the entire surface of the dough.

With a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 16 even pieces.

spread out caramel at the bottom of the pan

Grease and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter and parchment paper before pouring ½ of the homemade caramel to the bottom of the pan.

Take a piece of cut dough, place it at one edge of the loaf pan, and press about 2 tablespoons worth of the diced apples. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough until you’ve filled the whole loaf pan. Sprinkle any remaining brown sugar mixture over the top of the bread.

Not ready to bake these on the same day? No worries! Cover the unbaked pull-apart bread with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight. Before you’re ready to bake the loaf, pull the loaf pan out of the fridge and allow the dough to rise. This will take longer since the dough is cold from the fridge.
Cover with a damp towel or reusable shower cap and let rise for a second time. In my 70-degree F kitchen, this took 3-4 hours until they had noticeably grown and looked puffy. This step greatly depends on the temperature of your kitchen. Do not bake this bread until the dough has risen; otherwise, it will bake up dense and gummy.
*Since this is an enriched dough, it can take longer for the dough to rise. The rise time will also depend on the temperature of your kitchen. A cooler kitchen will have a longer bulk fermentation and final rise, while a warmer kitchen will be quicker. Then bake as normal.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

baked sourdough caramel apple pull apart bread

Place the sourdough pull apart bread in the hot oven on the middle rack and bake for 70-80 minutes. Be sure to place a baking sheet underneath your loaf pan as the caramel sauce may bubble over.
This loaf takes longer to bake due to the caramel sauce on the bottom of the loaf pan. I highly suggest investing in a thermometer. Continually check the internal temperature of the loaf while it is baking to be sure that the loaf is fully baked and not raw in the center. A baked sourdough sandwich loaf will have an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees F.
If you notice the top of your loaf is browning too quickly, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
Remove from the oven and place the bread pan on a wire rack. Keep the pan loaf in the tin pan for an extra 5 minutes before removing it.

sourdough apple caramel pull apart bread

While it is still warm, top a serving plate on top of the loaf pan and then flip to remove the pull-apart loaf from the baking dish.
Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce on top of the loaf, pull apart the slices, and serve warm. Enjoy!

McKenna’s Helpful Tips

Set a baking sheet beneath the loaf pan to catch any caramel sauce that bubbles over. We use the same careful setup for caramel-topped Sourdough Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel.
Give the cold, shaped dough enough time in a warm place to look noticeably puffy before baking. I follow the same final-rise cue for Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls.
Use a thermometer to confirm that the center reaches 190 to 200°F, then cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly. We apply the same doneness-first habit to Soft Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread.
Let the loaf rest in the pan briefly before turning it onto a serving plate so the caramel can settle. You can use the same short resting time with Sourdough Cheese and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread.

How to Store

If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, just reheat slices in a microwave-safe dish for about 15-20 seconds to warm it back up.

Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread on a tray

Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread FAQs

Should I use one apple or two apples for this Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe?

I use two large apples, about 280 grams total, for the filling. The corrected amount gives the loaf enough diced apples for a full apple flavor without overfilling the stacked dough. You can use similarly small apple pieces for Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

How do I know when the dough is ready to shape?

Wait until the dough has doubled in size and looks puffy before shaping. Because this is an enriched dough, the bulk fermentation can take about 8 to 10 hours at a 70°F room temperature, with a longer rise in a cooler kitchen. We use the same visual approach for Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.

What types of apples work best in Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe?

I use Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisp apples for a balanced tart-sweet filling, while Gala apples make a sweeter option. Dice them small so they become tender and fit neatly between the dough layers. We use the same apple-and-cinnamon combination in Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Scones with Cinnamon Glaze.

Can I make variations or substitutions in this recipe?

You can add a small amount of chopped nuts or dried fruit to the apple filling for extra texture. For the dough, I keep the active sourdough starter in the recipe for its intended fermentation and use a tested commercial-yeast dough rather than making a direct one-to-one swap. When I want a quicker apple discard recipe, I make Best Sourdough Apple Fritters made with Discard.

How should I store and reheat Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe?

Keep leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly and refrigerate it, then warm a slice in a microwave-safe dish for 15 to 20 seconds. We use a similar slice-and-reheat plan for The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe.

2 Comments

Dorothy Moore says:

December 18, 2024 at 2:20 AM

Please clarify, The written instructions says 2 apples (280g) but the ingredient list says 1 apple (140g). I’m guessing 2 apples is the correct amount?

1. simplicityandastarter says:
  
  December 20, 2024 at 7:16 PM
  
  Hi Dorothy! Thank you for bring this to my attention. It has now been corrected! You were correct – the filling should have 2 large apples.