Description
Sunrise mornings shine brighter with homemade apple morning buns, a delectable pastry dancing with cinnamon and fresh apple chunks. Crisp, buttery layers and warm spices create a breakfast experience that welcomes sweet comfort to kitchen counters.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
Liquid and Sweeteners:
- ¾ cup warm milk (about 110F / 45C)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Spices and Additional Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup melted butter (for brushing)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar + ½ teaspoon cinnamon (for rolling)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining it with warm milk and a portion of sugar, allowing it to become frothy and bubbly for 5-10 minutes.
- Create a foundation for the dough by whisking flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a spacious mixing vessel.
- Incorporate the activated yeast mixture, vanilla extract, and egg, blending until a cohesive dough emerges.
- Gradually integrate softened butter into the dough, kneading meticulously until achieving a silky, elastic consistency through manual or mechanical methods.
- Transfer the dough to a greased container, cover, and permit rising until volume doubles, approximately 1-1.5 hours.
- Craft the apple filling by sautéing diced apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla over medium heat until apples soften and become tender.
- Thicken the filling by stirring in cornstarch, cooking momentarily, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Roll the risen dough into a rectangular shape on a flour-dusted surface.
- Distribute the cooled apple mixture evenly across the dough’s surface.
- Tightly roll the dough from the elongated side, creating a compact log.
- Segment the log into twelve uniform portions, positioning each in a greased muffin tin.
- Allow buns to rise again under loose plastic wrap for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 375F (190C).
- Bake until golden and puffy, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Enhance the buns by brushing with melted butter and coating with a cinnamon-sugar mixture for added sweetness and texture.
- Serve warm for optimal enjoyment, allowing slight cooling to prevent burning.
Notes
- Activate instant yeast by ensuring milk temperature stays between 100-110°F to guarantee proper proofing and prevent killing the yeast.
- Enhance dough texture by kneading thoroughly, watching for a smooth, elastic consistency that springs back when gently pressed.
- Maximize apple flavor by using firm, tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, which hold their shape and provide balanced sweetness during cooking.
- Prevent soggy bottoms by placing muffin tin on the lower oven rack and using a light-colored pan to distribute heat evenly and promote golden browning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg