Apple-honey Challah

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter or non-dairy margarine, plus more for bowl, pan and plastic

3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface

3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)

2/3 cup honey

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)

Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.

Transfer dough to buttered bowl and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.

Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over mediumlow heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half of the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.

Brush challah with the remaining honeybutter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan and let cool.

Makes 1 9-inch round loaf.

— Recipe from Martha Stewart Living