appleroll

Apple Rolls

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp yeast
3 tsp (1 Tbsp) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
2 apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
4 heaping teaspoons brown sugar (2 – 3 Tbsp)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Add hot water to milk. Stir in yeast and sugar. Add salt and whole wheat and stir. Add melted butter and beat well. Add 1 cup unbleached flour, then remaining flour a bit at a time until dough is stiff enough to begin to handle by hand. Knead until smooth and elastic on a lightly floured counter. Add additional flour only as necessary – keep dough as moist as you are able to manage and still knead comfortably without it sticking to everything.
When dough is smooth and elastic, round into a ball, coat with melted butter or oil. Cover and let rest for 15 or 20 minutes while you prepare the apples.

Peel and core apples. Use a food processor or chop finely by hand. Stir in brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Roll out rested dough into a rectangle about 18″ wide and 12 – 15″ long.
Spread chopped apple mixture evenly over the top, except for an inch or so along one 18″ edge so that you can seal it. Roll up toward dry edge and seal. Cut into 12 slices about 1 1/2″ thick. Place in greased 9 x 13 pan. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.

(A trick I tried this time to speed rising, was to place the pan on a hot, wet towel, and cover it with another tea towel (well wrung out). Once the towels cooled, I removed them and covered with a dry tea towel instead.)

Bake at 350*F for about 25 minutes until done and tops are lightly browned. Serve with butter, if you like. These buns are not sweet. If you prefer them sweeter, drizzle with an icing sugar glaze.

Note: Diced apples mixed with sugar will get quite juicy if left to sit. Which means your rolls will have juice running out the bottom as you cut them and set them in the pan. Oh well.