Cassie’s Caramel Apple Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 95°F
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (130 g) whole wheat flour
- 3 ¼ – 3 ½ cups (405-435 g) all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
Filling
- 6 Tablespoons butter softened
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 2-3 cups apple finely chopped (peeling optional)
Caramel*
- 1 cup cream
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
Instructions
- Make the dough: Add dough ingredients to bread machine in order listed. Select dough cycle and start. May need to let dough rise for 10-20 more minutes after cycle is complete.
- Mix Caramel ingredients until sugar is dissolved and pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 13×18 inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.
- For the filling: Spread the softened butter all over the dough. In a small bowl, toss the cinnamon and sugar together until combined and then sprinkle evenly over the dough. Sprinkle chopped apple all over the dough as well. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. If some filling spills out, just sprinkle it on top of the rolls. Cut into 12 even rolls–dental floss works really well. Arrange them in the prepared baking pan, cut sides up. Optional – coat the top of the rolls with caramel.
- Cover the rolls very tightly with aluminum foil (no rolls exposed- this dries out your dough!) and stick in the refrigerator** for 8-12 hours.
- Remove rolls from the refrigerator and let rise in a warm place until they are puffy, about 1-2 hours.
- After the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly brown, then cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until internal temp reads 190-200°F. (The moisture content of the apples will affect the bake time.) Remove pan from the oven and flip rolls onto a pan, plate, or cutting board. Serve immediately.
- Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Storing in the refrigerator can dry out the rolls.
Notes
*For regular caramel rolls, omit apples, reduce cream to 3/4 cup and brown sugar to 115 g. Follow directions as written but bake for 10-15 minutes, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
**Rising – If planning to bake the rolls right away, loosely cover rolls and let rise in a warm place until they are puffy, about 45-60 minutes. Then continue with step 6.
For church breakfasts: double the caramel sauce and cut twice as many rolls. Follow directions as written but use a half sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for another 10-12 minutes.