Laminated Cinnamon Buns with Spiced Apple and Oaty Streusel. These laminated cinnamon buns have a spiced brioche, a cooked spiced apple filling and a chewy oaty streusel. These are a fun variation on the classic brioche bun, and the lamination provides delicious layers of flavour.
Table of contents
Laminated Cinnamon Rolls
Hi hi! Happy Friday! My apartment is currently filled with so, so many cookies - a friend does a weekly drop off to a local hospital to say thank you to the healthcare workers for all the amazing work they are doing, and so I do a big load of baking each week / use it as a chance to do a lot of recipe testing (only the good stuff goes!). It is so lovely to be able to give back - this week we are sending two types of chocolate chip cookies.
I am just popping in to share the recipe for these Laminated Cinnamon Rolls. I had a lot of extra apples on hand this week and wanted to try an apple variation on these peach cinnamon buns. These are some of my favourite thinga to make. Brioche is taken up a notch by adding in a simple lamination, which I first saw my friend Izy doing and then had to try for myself. Basically you roll the dough out thin, spread it with a layer of butter and brown sugar, then fold up like a letter and roll out again, giving you an added butter and sugar layer within the dough, which leads to some super amazing delicious layers within the bun. They are so, so good and look super impressive when they are done with their flaky layers and their vanilla bean glaze.
Apple Cinnamon Buns
The original buns I did had a peach compote and a brown butter streusel. It was great for summer. However, I also wanted a variation that could be made when peaches aren’t in season, and landed here on these apple ones. I cooked down some apple with some brown sugar and spices. Then I sprinkled it over the dough, and mixed up a super quick oaty streusel, which gave a really nice crunch and some chewy texture from the oats. I love both versions equally. You can mix and match the fillings if you like. I kept the dough and assembly technique just the same.
Slightly lazy recipe development on my part. But I honestly will never say no to another variation of these beautiful flaky buns. They make a great weekend project - I like to make the dough and the filling either the night before or early the morning of. I have been playing around with a cold rise on the same day as I make them, which works just as well as an overnight rest, so depending on what works best with your schedule, either is great. You do have to roll the dough out quite thin for these, and you then add a lamination, so if you can, working with a cold dough is significantly easier. Popping your log of dough in the freezer for a quick chill really helps to cut nice even slices when you make your buns too.
How to Laminate Brioche
I picked up this tip from my friend Izy. Making laminated brioche is pretty simple, provided that you take your time and work carefully.
- Roll out your dough into a large rectangle. I find that cold dough is easiest here.
- Brush with half of the melted butter
- Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Fold up like a letter
- Roll out again
- Proceed with the rest of the recipe and assembly of your laminated cinnamon buns.
The lamination of the brioche is a pretty easy step, but makes a huge difference!
Why I prefer a cold rise for Brioche
Putting yeasted dough in the fridge slows down the rising process. This means you can be much more flexible with when you make your cinnamon rolls. You're not tied down by a room temperature dough that needs to be rolled out at a certain point as soon as it is risen.
I have been using the fridge rise method for most of my doughs for a while now. I prefer it for a few reasons:
- Flexibility. I usually have about 12 things happening at a time, so putting the dough in the fridge means that I can get to it when I am ready.
- Cold dough is significantly easier to roll out. Particularly with something like these laminated cinnamon rolls where you want to get the dough nice and thin.
- Preparing ahead. Doing the first rise in the fridge also means you can make the dough ahead of time. I usually do this up to 24 hours ahead.
If you are in a rush but still want a cold dough, you can leave the dough on the counter for 20 min or so. This kick starts the rise. Then put it into the fridge to chill down a little and finish rising.
How to get a clean cut on cinnamon rolls.
Please don't use the dental floss method here. The dough has a lot of filling, and dental floss will ruin it. In order to get nice neat rolls, keeping them fairly short is the best way to go - if you have larger rolls like regular cinnamon buns it is hard to get them to bake properly.
I use a sharp serrated knife to cut these laminated cinnamon buns. chillingl the dough log in the freezer before I cut also makes a massive difference.
Laminated Cinnamon Bun FAQs
I usually try and use it within 24 hours of making it.
I wouldn't recommend it. All the filling will leak out - I usually try and avoid this whenever I can as buns risen overnight for the second rise just aren't as good.
About 2 hours. You can always kick start it on the counter. But go by how the dough is.
You can, just be careful when rolling it out that it doesn't break. You have to get it pretty thin.
Both the apple and the streusel can be made ahead!
For more Cinnamon Bun Recipes, Check out:
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Laminated Brioche Cinnamon Buns with Spiced Apple and Oaty Streusel
- Prep Time: 45 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 90 Minutes plus chilling time
- Yield: 12 Buns 1x
Description
Laminated Brioche Cinnamon Buns with Spiced Apple and Oaty Streusel. These laminated cinnamon buns have a spiced brioche, a cooked spiced apple filling and a chewy oaty streusel. These are a fun variation on the classic brioche bun, and the lamination provides delicious layers of flavour.
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 220g whole milk, lukewarm
- 4 Tbsp (50g) dark brown sugar
- 565g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Apple Filling
- 900g Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
- 100g Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Oaty Streusel
- 50g almond meal (if you do not have this, just use all-purpose flour)
- 50g all-purpose flour
- 40g old fashioned or rolled oats
- 50g brown sugar
- 25g raw or turbinado sugar (or just use more brown sugar)
- ½ tsp salt
- 65g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
Cinnamon Bun Filling
- 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 180g dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cardamom
- pinch of salt
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- 150g powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 2 Tbsp of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. Mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours, or transfer to the fridge and rise for at least 2 ½ hours or up to overnight (see notes)
SPICED APPLE FILLING
- Place the chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla into a medium heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender, approximately 10-12 minutes. Do not worry if it looks dry to begin with - the apples will release some of their moisture as they start to cook down.
- Transfer to a container and allow to cool completely. Store in the fridge.
OATY STREUSEL
- Combine the almond meal, flour, oats, brown sugar, raw sugar, and salt. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until combined and crumbly. Place in an airtight container in the fridge.
ASSEMBLY
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Place the spiced apple filling into a sieve and leave to drain while you roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 16”x26”(40cmx66cm).
- Lightly brush with butter, and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Fold into thirds like a letter, then roll out again into a 16”x26” (40cmx66cm) rectangle. Brush again with butter, and add the remainder of the cinnamon mixture. Arrange the apple evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle over the oaty streusel.
- Starting on the SHORT side, roll up into a log. Place the log onto a parchment lined baking sheet, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes. Alternatively you can chill it in the fridge for about an hour. If your dough is still quite cold if you did an overnight rest, you can skip this step if you like, but I find it helps a lot with keeping a nice tidy spiral.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim the ends of the log of dough so that they are tidy. Using a very sharp knife, measure the log of dough, and cut into 12 even pieces. Arrange on the baking sheet.
- Lightly cover the buns with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour, until they are puffy. While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients into a small bowl. Adjust the amount of cream if needed to make a consistency that will drizzle.
- Drizzle the glaze over the buns. Store leftover buns lightly covered at room temperature. Rewarm in the microwave briefly before eating if desired.
Notes
Inspired by / folding method from Izy Hossack
Keywords: laminated brioche, apple, laminated cinnamon buns, Streusel, Oaty Streusel, spiced apple