Apple Pie Sweet Rolls
Fall is FINALLY settling in here in the Upstate of SC and the cooler weather is so very welcome! This past weekend I developed what may be my best recipe yet for sweet rolls. After spending the last several months almost continuously baking Cinnamon Rolls I finally have a dough that I absolutely LOVE. I am glad to share with you my fellow lovers of all things Sweet! Please let me know if you try this recipe.
Apple Pie Sweet Rolls
Lisa Morgan – Morgan’s Ridge Bakehouse
○ Yield: 12-14 Rolls | Prep: 30 min | Rise: 2–2.5 hrs | Bake: 32–34 min |Oven: 350-375°F ○
Ingredients
Dough
5 Cups plus 2 Tbsp bread flour
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
2 large eggs, room temperature
5.3 oz container Fage 5 % Plain Greek Yogurt (you can sub Sour cream or another greek yogurt heaping ½ cup)
1 Tbsp Apple Butter room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, (softened) - Good European Style please
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (or try 1 tsp of Boiled Cider - I get mine from King Arthur)
1 tsp salt
¼ -1/2 Cup of warmed heavy cream ( used later to pour over cinnamon rolls before placing them into the oven.)
Roasted Apples for Filling and Topping:
3 lbs of granny smith apples cored, peeled and chopped
4 tsp of Apple Pie Spice (recipe for my homemade Apple Pie Spice is below)
6 Tbsp Butter cut into small pieces
2/3 c Water
2 heaping Tbsp Apple Butter
1 Tbsp AP Flour
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste plus 1 tsp boiled cider
pinch of salt
Cinnamon Filling:
12 Tbsp Salted Kerrygold Butter ( 1 ½ sticks) room temp
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 heaping Tbsp Apple Butter
Homemade Apple Pie Spice:
3 Tbsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp allspice
mix together and store in an airtight container to use as needed
Shelf Stable Hot water Salted Caramel Buttercream
2 sticks salted Butter - room temp
180 -240g Powdered Sugar
35 Hot water
2-3 tsp Salted Caramel Bakers Syrup (I used Rising Star Brand from Sam’s Club)
½ tsp vanilla
Method:
Roast your apples: Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the Apple butter into the water until well combined. Place the peeled, chopped apples in a large bowl and pour over the water apple butter mixture, sprinkle with the apple pie spice, flour, salt and vanilla bean paste, mix until all the apples are evenly coated. spread the coated apple pieces onto 2 baking sheets and bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the apples well, divide the butter pieces evenly out over the top of the apples. Bake again for another 15 minutes. Remove and stir the apples well testing for doneness. I like them still a bit firm and not too mushy. Bake in additional 10 minute increments until done. Rotating trays in over throughout the process and stiring. Remove the pans and cool on wire racks. Allow the apples to cool completey before using in the rolls.
Dough:
Warm the milk to 100-110 degrees, add 1 Tbsp of the sugar and the yeast, mix together and let sit about 8-10 minutes to bloom. In the bowl of your dough mixer add your milk and yeast mixture, eggs, greek yogurt, the rest of the sugar, vanilla and apple butter, whisk together, next add the bread flour and use the dough hook to knead together for about 5 minutes until a cohesive dough forms and you start building some gluten, then with the mixer on low, add the salt and slowly add the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time until it is all incorporated. Knead for another 10 minutes or so. You may need another 1-3 Tbsp flour. But do not add it too early, the dough will still be tacky, but will come together and look smooth and have strong gluten formation. lightly oil a bowl a rectangle shaped proofing box, place your dough in the container and turn it around so all sides are coated with the oil. Cover and let rise for 45-90 minutes in a warm place until almost doubled in size.
While the dough is bulk fermenting, make the cinnamon filling. With the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, mix together all the ingredients for the filling until well combined, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set aside.
Preheat your over to 350. Prep your baking pans, use non-stick spray, oil, butter or parchment liners. Optional- I butter my pans and sprinkle with a little brown sugar and then place 2-3 small apple chunks on the bottom of the pan so they are centered on where each roll will sit in the pan.
Lightly flour your clean work surface and the top of the dough (add more if very sticky) roll out to about 24 inch wide (for 1.75-2” rolls) spread the cinnamon filling on evenly and top with about ½ the cooled roasted apples. cut and roll, place in your prepared pans. You can do 1 large pan or smaller pans for stand sales. I do singles, 2 packs and 4 packs. Cover the rolls and let rise until puffy about 45 minutes.
Drizzle the room temp heavy cream over the rolls, then top with 1-2 tbsp of apple pieces. Optional- I drizzled a small amount of the Salted Caramel Bakers syrup on the apples on the top of the buns before baking.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 for 25 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven, turn the heat up to 375 and bake another 5-10 minutes depending on the size of your rolls. You are aiming for 195 -200 degrees for an internal temp.
While the rolls are baking make your Salted Caramel Hot water Buttercream with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the salted caramel syrup and vanilla along with the hot water. beat until smooth. You can add more hot water or powdered sugar to get to the consistency you prefer. You can also add more of the salted caramel syrup to taste. I piped on a small amount of the buttercream while the rolls are still hot and let it melt into the apples and rolls. Then when cool, you can add another drizzle of icing and some of the salted caramel syrup depending on how much sweetness you want to add. I prefer less icing and serving these warm rolls a la mode with a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream! Enjoy!
