Giant Apple Cinnamon Roll
Apple cinnamon rolls, but baked into one giant twist. Spiced apples are folded between soft, buttery dough and layers of cinnamon butter, then finished with a warm brown butter glaze.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 9-inch cast iron or cake pan
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup warm milk 100-115 F
- 2 eggs
- 2 ounces (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter melted
- 3 - 3 ½ cups (360-420 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Apple filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 apples peeled and diced small
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon butter
- 4 ounces (½ cup/8 Tbsp) unsalted butter soft
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Brown butter glaze
- 2 ounces (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, thoroughly whisk together the 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast with 1 cup warm milk and 3 Tbsp sugar. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until frothy. Whisk in 2 eggs and 2 ounces melted butter. Add 3 cups/360 grams of flour and ½ tsp salt; stir until the mixture comes together in a shaggy mass. Then attach the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 8-10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.If dough seems too wet and sticky during the kneading process, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time. The dough will be soft and look shiny, but it shouldn't stick to your fingers.
- First rise: Place dough in a warm spot in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until roughly doubled, about 1 hour.
- Prep the apples: While dough is rising, prep the fillings. Peel, core, and dice 2 apples, then sauté briefly with 1 Tbsp butter, a pinch of salt, and ½ tsp cinnamon for about 5 minutes, or until lightly softened.Scrape apples into a bowl and place in the fridge to cool until the dough is ready.
- Make the cinnamon butter: In a small bowl, beat 4 oz soft butter with ½ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, and pinch of salt until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Roll & fill: Once the dough is ready, place it on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle that's roughly 12x14 inches and ½ inch thick (it doesn't need to be perfect).Tip: Move the dough to a large piece of parchment paper*. This makes it easier to move once you start shaping it. Spread the dough evenly with the cinnamon butter, leaving about a 1-inch border around all sides. Then top with the cooled apples, pressing lightly to adhere. This helps them stay in place during shaping.
- Shape: Roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seams together to seal, then flip the dough so the seam side is facing down on the work surface.Cut log in half lengthwise, leaving a small section connected at one end. Turn the cut sides upward to expose the layers, then gently twist the two halves around each other, tucking the loose end under. Coil the twisted dough into a spiral and carefully transfer it to a buttered cast-iron skillet or a parchment-lined cake pan.
- Second rise: Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until roughly doubled and puffy, about 1 hour.When it's almost ready, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake: Bake until golden and baked through, 40-45 minutes. The internal temperature should be between 180° - 190° F. If it starts to brown too much at any point, you can cover it loosely with foil.Remove roll from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes before glazing.
- Glaze: Melt 2 oz butter over low heat in a small saucepan, then continue to cook on low until it turns light brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes or so. Pour brown butter into a mixing bowl and allow to cool for a couple minutes.Whisk in 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 Tbsp milk. Add more milk as needed until you have a smooth, pourable icing. Drizzle glaze over the warm cinnamon roll and serve immediately.
Notes
*This is a very soft dough. While shaping, it may help to move the dough to a piece of parchment paper or even a baking sheet lined with parchment. This way, you can easily move the dough as needed, or even place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes if it gets too warm to handle at any point.
See the blog post above for step-by-step photos of the shaping process, plus alternative glaze ideas if you want to try something different.