Apple Cranberry Flat Bread

You like cake. You are craving for cake. But your dresses are screaming you to stop thinking about cake. What do you do? If you can ignore the craving and forget all about it, kudos to you. I couldn't and cannot do it when it comes to food. So, I made a bread. I made it with just 3 TBSP of fat in it. Lot less sugar too. But did I feel like I was eating cake? Oh yes. Did I have to feel guilty after eating? Definitely not. This one was as spongy and soft as a cake. Its only draw back is lack of a great color. Who cares about the color anyway? If you are one of those who do, you can always brush the dough with milk before baking to get a better color.

One Year Back - Vegan Banana Coconut Bread
Two Years Back - Mango Bread, Bread Machine - Do I need it?
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 3 cups plus more for shaping
Warm water - 1 cup
Oil - 2 TBSP
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 4 TBSP or 1/4 cup
Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
Apple cored and chopped - 1 medium (I left the skin on. You could peel it if you like)
Sweetened dried cranberries - 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP to top
Demerra or Raw Sugar - 2 TBSP (optional)

Method:
In a bowl, take warm water. Add 1 TBSP of sugar to it followed by yeast. When the yeast froths (about 5 - 10 minutes), add salt, oil, remaining sugar and start adding the flour. Because of the sugar, it will be slightly sticky dough. It is alright and don't be tempted to add more flour. Knead for 10 - 12 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat. Cover and let rise till double. About 45 minutes to an hour.

Punch down the dough and place on a generously floured surface. Pat it roughly to a rectangle big enough to hold all the apple pieces. Start folding the dough so that all apple pieces distribute evenly through out the dough. Add the cranberries and work them in. Because of apples, it will get even more stickier. It is alright to work the flour that you have used on the board but make sure not to add more than 2 - 3 TBSP of flour. You want the dough to be super sticky. Divide the dough into two parts. Place in well greased 8 or 9" round cake pan or pie plate. Or you could pat it into 9 X 13 pan as one large flat bread. With oiled hands, pat the dough to whatever sized pan you are using. Top the reserved Sweetened cranberries on the top. Cover with an oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 30 - 45 minutes. It might not look like it has doubled, but it will have increased in size a bit.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Just before baking, top them with raw sugar. If you skip this, the bread might be a bit bland. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until an internal thermometer shows 190 - 200 F. Edges will have started browning but the top will not have a great color. Don't over bake it to get brown color. You want the bread to be really soft and spongy. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn it on to the wire rack to cool completely. Slice when slightly warm or completely cooled. Tastes great with a cup of coffee or tea.
This is my entry for the Blogging Marathon started by Srivalli. Also sending this to Yeastspotting.