Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These are classic cinnamon rolls made with a cooked apple-cinnamon filling and a caramel drizzle. The dough is enriched with milk and butter, baked until golden, then glazed while warm so the caramel settles into the spirals.

By Julienne

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 300 g all-purpose flour divided
• 50 g granulated sugar divided
• 7 g instant yeast none
• 6 g fine salt divided
• 180 ml whole milk warmed to 38 to 43 C
• 45 g unsalted butter melted and softened, divided
• 1 count large egg lightly beaten
• 75 g all-purpose flour divided
• 300 g apple peeled, cored, and diced small
• 10 ml lemon juice none
• 70 g light brown sugar divided
• 4 g ground cinnamon divided
• 1 g ground nutmeg optional, divided
• 20 g unsalted butter melted and softened, divided
• 30 ml warm water for proofing pan and adjusting filling as needed
• 50 g granulated sugar divided
• 50 g light brown sugar divided
• 4 g ground cinnamon divided
• 5 ml vanilla extract none
• 20 g unsalted butter melted and softened, divided
• 120 g caramel sauce warmed for drizzling

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 300 g flour, 50 g granulated sugar, the yeast, and 6 g salt. Stir in the warm milk, 45 g melted butter, and the beaten egg until a shaggy dough forms. No dry flour should remain in the bowl and the dough should look uneven but cohesive.
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding the remaining 75 g flour only as needed, until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes by hand. The dough should feel supple and slightly tacky but not sticky, and it should spring back slowly when pressed.
3. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45 minutes. The dough should be visibly puffy and nearly twice its original size.
4. While the dough rises, cook the diced apple with the lemon juice, 70 g brown sugar, 4 g cinnamon, the optional nutmeg, 20 g butter, and 30 ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the apple is just tender and the liquid has thickened slightly. Cool to warm. The apple pieces should hold their shape but no longer taste raw, and the pan should contain a glossy, lightly thickened syrup.
5. Mix the remaining 50 g granulated sugar, the remaining 50 g brown sugar, the remaining 4 g cinnamon, and the vanilla into the warm apple filling. The filling should smell strongly of cinnamon and look glossy rather than watery.
6. Roll the dough into a 30 by 40 cm rectangle. Spread the remaining 20 g softened butter over the surface, then distribute the apple filling evenly, leaving a 2 cm border on one long edge. Roll tightly from the opposite long edge to form a log. The log should be even in thickness and sealed along the seam.
7. Cut the log into 10 equal rolls and arrange them cut-side up in a parchment-lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until puffy, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat the oven to 190 C during this rise. The rolls should look expanded and slightly touching in the pan before baking.
8. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and the centers are cooked through. The internal temperature of the center roll should read about 88 to 93 C. The rolls should spring back lightly when touched and the filling should be bubbling at the edges.
9. Warm the caramel sauce, then drizzle it over the rolls while they are still warm. Serve warm from the pan. The caramel should coat the tops and settle into the spirals without pooling excessively.