3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3-5 teaspoons water
FILLING: In a medium bowl, combine the apples, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, set aside. DOUGH: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. With the mixer on low, slowly add butter, milk, water, vanilla, and then eggs. Turn the mixer on medium-low and knead until the dough is soft and smooth (about 2 minutes). If it seems too dry add a little water, if it seems too sticky add just a little flour, up to a 1/4 cup. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. (You can also use a longer/larger pan if needed, but the bread will simply not be as compact) Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12" x 20" rectangle. Spread the apple filling over the entire top on the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into six 3 1/2" x 12" strips. Stack the strips on top of one another. Cut the stack into six pieces, about 2" x 3 1/2" each. Turn the pieces on edge, and place them in the loaf pan one in front of the other from one end of the pan to the other, squeezing them in tight. I sprinkled any pieces of apple that had fallen off over the top of the dough after I put it into the pan. Cover the pan and allow the loaf to rise for 30 to 60 minutes until it's almost doubled in size. While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf for 45 to 55 minutes in the center of the oven, tenting it with foil after 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before turning it out of the pan to cool completely. As the bread is cooling, make the glaze.