If you like scrolls, you are going to love this apple cinnamon scrolls with home made salted caramel. This recipe consist of a Tang Zhong based bread that is perfect to yield a soft and fluffy texture that does not go dry overnight. Super simple to make and you can prepare, bake and enjoy them all in one day!
Try them out and let me know what you think 😄~!
To make the Apple Caramel Cinnamon Scrolls....
RECIPE
YIELD: 9 x Cinnabuns
Baking Pan: 200mm deep square baking tin
Preparation time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 -30 minutes
Bulk Proofing: 1 -2 hours
Final Proofing - 30 minutes -1 hour
DOUGH
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Tang Zhong | ​ |
Full Cream Milk | 100g |
Bread Flour | 25g |
​ | ​ |
Final Dough | ​ |
Bread Flour | 360g |
Fine Salt | 7g |
​ Caster Sugar | 25g |
Instant Yeast | 8g |
Unsalted Butter - softened | 60g |
Whole Egg | 50g |
Full Cream Milk - cold | 160g |
APPLE PIE FILLING
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Granny smith Green Apple | 1 apple |
Royal Gala Red Apple | 1 apple |
Unsalted Butter | 30g |
Brown Sugar | 80g |
Ground Cinnamon | 1 teaspoon |
BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON FILLING
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Unsalted Butter | 180g |
Light Brown Sugar | 50g |
​Cinnamon Powder | 2 tablespoon |
Fine Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
CARAMEL SAUCE
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Caster Sugar | 200g |
Unsalted Butter | 90g |
Cream 35% Fat | 120g |
Sea Salt Flakes | 1 teaspoon |
SUGAR SYRUP
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Boiling Water | 50g |
Caster Sugar | 80g |
Method
Start making the Apple Caramel Cinnamon Scrolls by preparing the following...
FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
1. Heat the cream in a microwave until it starts to boil. Alternatively you can boil the cream in a small saucepan. Keep hot and set aside.
2. In a separate saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat while stirring it gently. Do not vigorously mix the sugar too much or this can cause to sugar to crystalize.
3. Once the sugar has fully melted, turn the heat off, then add in the room temperature butter. Gradually stream in the hot cream and whisk until well incorporated.
4. Turn on the heat again on low and continue to cook the caramel while gently whisking for 1 minute. This will thicken the caramel slightly upon cooling. If you want a really liquid caramel, you can skip the extra cooking step.
5. Transfer the caramel into a sterilized jar and reserve.
Note: The caramel can keep in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
FOR THE APPLE FILLING
1. Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl and add in 2 tablespoon of cold water.
2. Peel and core the apples. Dice the apples to approximately 1 cm cubes then toss them into the lemon water.
3. In a skillet or a saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add in the apples, sugar and cinnamon and cook while stirring constantly until the apples are just tender. The cooking time will take only 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook the apples. You do not want the apples to become mushy.
4. Strain the apple over a sieve to rid of any excess liquid.
Place the strained apple into a bowl and set aside to chill until ready to use.
Note: You can prepare the cooked apple ahead of time. Simply strain the apple and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON FILLING
1. Bring the butter to room temperature and mix to soften.
2. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon well to combine. Side aside until ready to use.
FOR THE TANG ZHONG BREAD DOUGH
Lightly grease a 200mm square baking tin with some oil then line with some parchment paper. Set aside until ready to use.
1. Start by preparing the Tang Zhong (TZ). Place the flour and milk for the TZ into a saucepan and cook while whisking continuously over medium heat until it thickens to an opaque paste. This paste is called the Tang Zhong. Transfer the TZ into a clean bowl and wrap with a cling film touching the surface and leave to cool at room temperature or in the fridge.
You can prepare the Tang Zhong a day ahead and store them in the fridge. Ensure to wrap it well to prevent from drying out.
2. Prepare the yeast sponge by heating the milk to between 32°C - 35°C. Leave at room temperature until the top starts to froth. This is an indication that the yeast is active. It will only take approximately 10 - 20 minutes for this to happen depending on the ambient of your kitchen.
Once the TZ has cooled, Prepare the final dough by placing all the other ingredients, including the TZ, except for the butter into the stand mixer bowl. Mix with a dough hook attached on low speed for 3 minutes until the ingredients come together to a rough dough. At this point, the dough will be very soft and looks shaggy.
Scrape the bowl down then add in the room temperature butter. Increase the speed to medium speed and continue to mix for another 10-12 minutes, scraping the side and the bottom of the bowl in between kneading of the dough.
Once the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl, is stretchable and looks shiny; the dough is ready. To check the readiness of the dough, perform a "Window Test" by stretching a small piece of the dough between your hands. If you are able to stretch it thin enough to see through like a "window", you have developed enough gluten and it is ready for Bulk Proofing. Do not knead the dough any further after this point. (*Refer to below video for more instructions)
3. Transfer the dough on to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to a tight ball. Transfer into a lightly greased bowl large enough for the dough to double in size, with the seam side tucked underneath. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to bulk proof at room temperature or until it double in size.
The bulk proofing process takes approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the ambient of your kitchen.
4. Once the dough have doubled in volume, gently knock the dough back with the palm of your hands to release some of the additional gas in the dough.
Dust the workbench with some flour then transfer the dough over. Roll the dough to a semi tight ball then dust the top with some flour. With the help of a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 270 mm x 400 mm rectangle, with the shorter end closest and furthest from you. Spread the softened butter on top of the dough sheet, then sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Lastly, sprinkle the cooled cooked apple cubes on top.
5. From the shorter end closest to you, roll the dough to a semi tight log.
With the seam side underneath, divide the log to 9 equal portions of approximately 30 mm in thickness with the help of a serrated knife.
6. Place the portioned cinnamon buns onto the prepared baking tin with the cut side facing outwards leaving a small space in between each buns.
Once you are finished, cover the portioned cinnamon buns with a damp tea towel and leave to final proof or until they increases at least 50% in volume. This process will take approximately 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, pre heat the oven to 165C.
7. When the cinnamon buns are ready it should look like it can increased in volume and looks light and airy.
Bake in the pre heated oven for approximately 20 - 25 minutes until the top starts to turn pale golden in colour.
8. Once baked, remove the tray from the oven. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and gently press it down to flatten the top then brush the top with some sugar syrup. (To prepare the sugar syrup, simply boil the water and mix in the sugar)
9.Remove the cinnamon bun from the baking tray and leave onto a wire rack to fully cool.
10. Before serving, spoon a generous spoonful of salted caramel on top.
STORAGE
The apple Cinnamon Scrolls can keep at room temperature for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container. It is however recommended to consume them on the day that they are made.
