Apple Charlotte

1 . Stage

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chopped apples, apple butter, crystallized ginger, brandy, lemon zest and juice, salt, ground ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until apples have softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and mixture has thickened, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the crust.

2 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3 . Stage

Melt remaining 12 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe bowl, in 15- to 30-second intervals. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

4 . Stage

Remove crusts from bread slices. Gently dip both sides of each bread slice in melted cinnamon butter and arrange inside a 9x5-inch loaf pan, cutting them as needed to line the bottom and sides of the pan completely. Overlap pieces slightly to ensure there are no cracks. Spoon in the apple mixture and cover with remaining butter-dipped bread slices.

5 . Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until bread is crisp and golden, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Place a plate or serving platter over the loaf pan and flip so the bottom has now become the top.