Apple Cranberry Breakfast Buns
Equipment
- 12 well standard muffin tin
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1½ cups warm water (110℉ or so) 360g
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 575g
- ¼ cup raw cane sugar, + 1 tbsp for sprinkling 65g
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
For the butter layer
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 sticks
For the Buns
- 3 cups Granny Smith or another baking apple, peeled and sliced thinly 325g
- ⅓ cup fresh cranberries
- ⅓ cup apple cider
- ½ cup pure cane sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp all spice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 3 tbsp salted butter, melted + more butter for greasing the muffin tin
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the 4 cups of flour, cane sugar, salt, water, and instant yeast on low speed until just combined. Then drizzle in the 2 tbsp of melted butter.
- Continue mixing for another 3-4 minutes, then remove the dough and place in a greased bowl and cover with beeswax or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise on the counter for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled, remove the dough from the bowl onto a work surface and shape into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place on a plate or sheet pan and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.
After the dough has chilled
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and 1 tbsp of flour until very creamy and easy to spread.
- Lightly flour a large work surface and roll the chilled dough out into a 12 in x 20 in rectangle. Ensure the short side if the dough is in front of you.Spread the butter mixture across the entirety of the dough, leave a small ½ in border around the edges.
Folding the dough
- Make a letter fold by folding the side of the dough nearest to you towards the middle of the dough.Then fold the short side of the dough furthest from you in on top of the perviously folded dough.
- Turn the dough 90° so that the seam is on the left or right side of the dough.Next, use a rolling pin and roll the dough back out into a large rectangle, roughly 10 in x 18 in.
- Repeat the fold again, then place on a plate and chill for 5 minutes in the freezer to firm up the butter.
- Repeat the letter fold one last time: Roll the dough into a large rectangle, then fold a short side in to the middle then fold the opposite short side in until you have a small rectangle.Place the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 5 minutes before using or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks (store wrapped and in a ziptop bag).
Make the filling
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the apple slices, cranberries, and apple cider. Cover and let simmer for 8-10 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat and drain the cider off. Set the apples and cranberries aside to cool.
Assemble the buns
- Butter the muffin tin well, then sprinkles 1-2 tsp's of sugar on top of the butter and tap the tin to get the sugar to stick to the butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, all spice, and cloves.
- Flour you work surface and roll out the dough into a 10 in x 24 in rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3 tbsp of melted butter, then sprinkle the spiced sugar mix over the butter.Top with the cooked apples and cranberries.
- Roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll, starting at a long side. Use a serrated knife or floss to cut out 12 rolls. Place the rolls, cut-side down into the muffin wells.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic whoa and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.After rising press them down slightly with a spatula so that they stick to the butter and sugar in the bottom of the tin.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
- After removing from the oven, use tongs to dip the top of the buns in pure cane sugar for a light shimmer and crunch, (optional).Enjoy warm or at room temperature!