apple and cinnamon scrolls

apple and cinnamon scrolls

• 26 Jun 2023

I do love a scroll and looking back through my archives, I've made apple and cinnamon scrolls before. Judging by the photos, they weren't much of a success as they barely rose. Well, I'm pleased to say that my bread making skills have improved out of sight since that time. During my long service leave in 2021, spent almost entirely in lockdown, I spent many, many hours in my kitchen baking bread, once I could get my hands on some flour that is.

For the scrolls, I used my version of Sarah Keiffer's cinnamon roll recipe. As it's a multi-step process, I made overnight rolls. I made the dough on Friday night, then prepared the cinnamon filling recipe and the apple the following day. I assembled the rolls in the afternoon and left the rolls on the bench top to rise as it's pretty cold here in Sydney. Very early on Sunday morning I glazed and baked the now risen rolls which I slathered with vanilla flavoured cream cheese icing while still warm from the oven. I'm sure you can guess what I had for my breakfast on Sunday. 

Here's the recipe for you which makes 8 - 10 scrolls, depending how big you like your scrolls. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C. These scrolls are best served the day they're made but they can be frozen. As soon as they're cool, store in plastic bags, freeze and defrost when needed.

Apple cinnamon scrolls

Dough
125 mls milk, lukewarm
30g honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp yeast
1 egg at room temperature
2 cups (300g) plain flour 
½ tsp salt
75g room temperature unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Melted butter, milk or cream for glazing the buns

Apple Filling
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1 cm pieces
1 tsp (5g) unsalted butter
Juice of half a lemon

Cinnamon filling

50g room temperature unsalted butter, 

100g brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs almond meal

1 tsp maple or golden syrup
Pinch salt

Cream cheese icing
40g room temperature unsalted butter  

50g room temperature cream cheese,

½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Pinch salt
1 cup (150g) icing sugar, sifted

 
Method
Grease a large bowl. Combine the lukewarm milk, honey, the vanilla and the yeast in a large liquid measuring cup. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until foamy, then stir in the egg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour and salt and stir on low to combine. Add the egg mixture and mix on low to combine. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time. When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough, until all the little butter pieces are incorporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. The dough will be very sticky and you will need a spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Place your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough and gently pull the dough up and fold it back over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this folding again. Continue 6 to 8 more times, until all the dough has been folded over on itself. Re-cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this series of folding 3 more times, for a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

Apple filling

Place all the ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. Cover and cook the apples on high for 3 minutes or until softened but still holding their shape. Set aside to cool. You can also cook the apples in a frying pan on the stovetop on a medium heat. 

Cinnamon Filling

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Shape the dough
Flour a work surface and knead the dough 10 to 12 times to activate the gluten. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the top lightly with flour, and cover with a tea towel and let come to room temperature. 

Grease and line a 26cm round pan or a baking pan with baking paper and set to one side. On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough to a 40 cm × 30 cm rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, right up to the edges. Scatter over the cooked apples then starting at a longer edge, roll the dough into a log shape to create a spiral.

Use a sharp knife to cut into approximately 3 cm wide slices and then tuck the loose ends of the roll underneath. Place the buns, spiral side up, onto the prepared tray. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. Remove the plastic then brush the buns with melted butter, milk or cream and bake in the preheated 180°C, conventional oven for 30 minutes on the centre rack or until golden and risen. While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. 

For the icing
Place the butter, cream cheese, the vanilla and salt into a medium size bowl. Using a hand beater, mix on medium until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium until the icing is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. 

When the rolls are ready, transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Using an offset spatula or table knife, apply a thin layer of the cream cheese icing, using about one-third of the mixture. Let the rolls cool for another 15 to 20 minutes then top with the rest of the icing and serve. 

If you’d like to make overnight rolls then prepare the rolls (roll out dough, fill them, roll them up, cut them, and put them in the prepared pan) then cover them loosely with plastic and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, and let the rolls sit at room temperature (still covered in plastic) until puffy. Bake as directed (they might take slightly longer to bake). 

So how were the scrolls? I made 9 large scrolls and a tiny one with the trimmings, which I chose not to ice. The tiny scroll was tasty, but the iced scrolls were out of this world. They were absolutely delicious, so I'll definitely be making them again.

See you all again next week for some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian