Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

For Christmas I got the MORE from MACRINA bakery cookbook (Macrina is a local Seattle bakery) and since then I have been slowly baking and cooking my way through the book. I have made these pull-aparts several times now and they have become one of my favorite breakfast treats. They are light and moist with just the right amount of gooeyness!

They are relatively easy to make and can be made ahead of time to save you from having to get up at 4am to make them fresh (unless of course you enjoy getting up that early to bake)! The recipe makes 2 batches - if you are having more than a few people you will need the second batch (they really are that good) or you can freeze the second one to use at a later date. And the best part is that they come out looking delicious AND beautiful.

I've broken the recipe up into 2 parts: the dough and then pull-aparts.






SWEET BRIOCHE DOUGH

Ingredients:

14 cup lukewarm (80°F) water
12 cup sugar, divided
1 12 teaspoons active dry yeast
34 cup lukewarm (80°F) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 12 cups (1 pound) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Lightly oil a medium bowl with canola oil. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Mix until yeast is dissolved, then let mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, vanilla, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes to bring the dough together. Increase the speed to medium. Drop small pieces of butter into the dough one at a time (with the mixer running). (Adding the butter should take no more than 2 minutes.)

Continue mixing for 2-3 more minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar (the 12 cup minus the 2 teaspoons) and continue mixing for another 4 minutes.

With floured fingers, check the dough. If it stretches about 3 inches without tearing it's ready. If it tears, continue mixing for another 1-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place the ball into the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 212-3 hours.  You can now use the dough, or if you are making the dough a day ahead, deflate it after its initial rise, then re-cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, pull it out 2 hours before you want to use it to allow it to come to room temperature. The dough should be doubled in size and feel slightly warm to the touch.

APPLE CINNAMON PULL-APARTS

Ingredients:

For the baked apples:
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 14 inch thick 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
18 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cinnamon sugar:
12 cup sugar
12 cup packed light brown sugar
1 12 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 12 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the egg wash:
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

For the buttermilk glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
12 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lightly grease two round 9-inch cake pans with canola oil and then line each pan with a 10-inch round of parchment paper, creasing the edges so the paper goes up the sides of the pan.  Next, cut four 2x15" strips to place along the inside of the pans (2 per pan).  Set aside.

For the apples: toss them with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.  Spread them on the prepared baking sheet and dot with butter.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Toss the apples and bake for another 5 minutes.  They should be soft but still a little firm.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Chop coarsely and set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar: combine the sugars, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Pull the brioche dough out onto a floured work surface.  Roll the dough out into an evenly thick 7x16 inch rectangle.  Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, going clear to the edges.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples, keeping 14 cup for garnish.

Begin rolling up the dough, starting with the edge that is farthest away.  The log will stretch as you roll - you want it to stretch out to 24 inches.  When you have finished rolling let it rest seam side down for several minutes.  

Cut the log equally in half.  Then cut each log into seven 112 inch pieces.  Place 6 pieces around the perimeter of the pan and then place the seventh in the center.  Make sure they have a little room to rise.    Do the same with second pan.  Lightly brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.  Let the dough rise until it's level with the top of the pan and has expanded to fill the pan, about 112 hours.

About 20 minutes before the end of the final rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

Bake the pull-aparts for 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  Cool them in the pan for just 20 minutes (if they cool completely the sugars will harden and stick).  Flip the rolls onto a plate, remove the parchment and then place your presentation plate on top of the rolls and flip again. 

For the buttermilk glaze: sift the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the vanilla and buttermild and whisk until the glaze is smooth.  Stream the glaze over the top of the pull-aparts in a zigzag pattern.  Serve warm.

Once the glaze has hardened you can wrap the pull-aparts in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 weeks. To serve remove from the freezer and let the pull-aparts thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Place the pull-aparts on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat for 10 minutes.

Each cake round makes 7 pull-aparts.

Recipe from Leslie Mackie's, MORE from MACRINA

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