Mix the flour, starter, and water together until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.

Add the salt using wet hands, working it into the dough until fully incorporated.

Perform stretch and folds every hour for 3 hours, then let the dough bulk ferment covered at room temperature until it has increased in size by 50 to 70 percent and jiggles when gently shaken. Anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on the temperature and strength of your dough and starter.

Lightly flour your work surface, turn the dough out, and pre shape it into a round. Let it rest seam side down for 20 to 30 minutes.

Shape the dough into a batard, place it seam side up in a banneton, and cover. Cold proof in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

When you are ready to bake, peel and core the apple and cut it into a small dice, roughly a quarter inch. Toss with the granulated sugar and the lemon juice and set aside for 20 minutes.

Move the cold proofed loaf in the banneton from the refrigerator to the freezer for those same 20 minutes. You are firming up the outer layer so it cuts cleanly, not freezing the loaf, so pull it while it is still flexible enough to bend without cracking.

Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a small bowl to make the filling. Set aside a tablespoon or so to dust the apples later.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center.

Drain the apples in a fine mesh sieve and press gently, then spread them on a clean towel and pat them dry on all sides. They should feel tacky rather than wet.

Turn the cold loaf out onto parchment, top side down.

Slice down through the loaf vertically, 3 time parallel to eachother, going deeper than feels comfortable. These first cuts are the deep ones. leave roughly an inch from the cut to the top

Then go back through those slices with kitchen scissors to cut them into sections, working across the first cuts so you end up with a hatched pattern. Keep these scissor cuts shallower than the knife cuts. That difference in depth puts the filling at several levels inside the dough rather than on one flat plane, and it is what creates the swirl.

Sprinkle the cinnamon filling down into all of the cuts, distributing it evenly so no single spot gets a thick pile.

Toss the drained dried apples with the reserved pinch of filling, then lay them over the cuts. Leave small gaps between the pieces so the dough can still bond to itself as it bakes.

Starting at one end, gently roll the loaf up into a log, taking care not to deflate it. Roll it back so the top of the loaf is on the bottom and the seam side is facing up.

Tuck the ends to seal, pressing the seams tight all the way across. A loose seam on the bottom lets the apples escape during the bake and causes the bottom of the loaf to come apart once it is cut and cooled.

Flip the log so the seam faces down and you have the smooth top facing up and lower it into a parchment lined loaf pan, Place a second loaf pan upside down on top to create a mini Dutch oven.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Remove from the oven, take off the top pan, and score one line down the center of the loaf. Replace the lid and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for a final 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the sugar and the apples make this loaf brown early, use a thermometer rather than relying on color.

Let the loaf cool for 3 to 4 hours before slicing. A warm slice from a fruit loaf will read gummy even when the bread is perfect.