Apple Cinnamon Pastry Twist is a fall breakfast favorite. It is also any time of the year and any meal of the day favorite. Breakfast, afternoon coffee, an evening – while watching TV, or before bedtime snack. Try some lightly toasted or warmed up a bit. So Yummy.
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Cinnamon + Apples = Fall. There are a few other equations in our house that also equal fall, like pumpkin + spice = Fall. Apple and cinnamon are Farmer Fred’s favorite equation, though. He loves them in my Lattice Top Apple Pie, this Apple Cinnamon Pastry Twist, and Apple Cinnamon Stuffed French Toast.
What Makes this Bread/Pastry so Yummy?
I’m not a big fan of Entenmann’s pastries. However, several of my friends who love Entenmann’s say it reminds them of that pastry; only this one is sooo much better because it doesn’t smash when you cut it. It stays light and airy. So what is the secret? Patience and SAF Gold Instant Yeast, along with butter, sugar, eggs, and milk. (kind of like a “cookie dough” pastry).
What Do I Need To Make This Apple Cinnamon Pastry Twist?
YEAST – SAF Gold and Patience: You need patience because the dough requires several long rest periods and then a long rise period. When the dough has a high level of sugar, butter, and eggs, it takes longer to rise fully. The Gold yeast is formulated specifically for this type of dough. You can use the red, but it may require longer resting and rise periods.
Butter, Sugar, Eggs, and Milk. These are the soul of the dough and give it that rich pastry taste that we love.
Flour and Water: Bread flour gives a little more structure to this rich sweet dough, helping it rise and stay soft and airy.
Apples and Cinnamon: Your favorite variety of apples is perfect. I’ve made this with both tart and sweet apples.
Glaze: A simple vanilla, cream, and powdered sugar glaze.
How To Make The Dough:
Add the salt and yeast to the flour. Then add everything else into the bowl of a Stand Mixer. Add the flour mixture on top and mix. Once the mixture is mixed together, turn the mixer to medium, and with the dough hook attachment, mix for 10 minutes until you have a soft, smooth dough. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Make the Apple Cinnamon Pastry Filling:
Grate the apples and then add the lemon juice, corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon to make the filling. Add all of the ingredients. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is very thick. Remove and let it cool before spreading on the dough.
“Do The Twist” aka Assemble and Bake the Cinnamon Apple Pastry Twist:
Once the dough has chilled, and the apple filling is done and cooled, it’s time to do the twist.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 8 X 10 inches. Spread the filling on the dough and roll up like a cinnamon roll into a cylinder or cigar shape.
Cut the cylinder down the middle with a sharp knife by pressing the knife all the way down to the cutting board.
Separate the two halves and lay one half on top of the other half. Cut sides up. (see picture or video) Twist the two halves into a simple braid and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Lightly brush with an egg wash, cover, and let rise for two hours. Brush lightly with more egg wash. During the last 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the temperature in the center of the twist is 190 – 195 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Make the Glaze:
The glaze is a simple powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla glaze. Start with about a cup of powdered sugar and add the vanilla and 1 Tbsp of heavy cream. Mix in and add a teaspoon at a time of more heavy cream until the glaze “ribbons” off the spoon.
Glaze the Apple Cinnamon Pastry Twist and enjoy.
Storing:
Make a double or triple batch and freeze an unglazed loaf in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight, Glaze, and serve.
Store the leftover loaf at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
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Apple Cinnamon Pastry Twist
Equipment
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Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- 3 tbsp. butter (50g)
- ¼ cup whole milk (50g)
- ¼ cup water (50g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 large egg
- 2¼ cups bread flour (270g)
- 2 tsp SAF Gold Yeast
- 1 tsp salt
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp milk
Apple Cinnamon Filling
- 2 cups peeled, cored, grated apples(225g)
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar(66g)
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch (21g)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)(114g)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar(113g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Pastry Dough
- Mix the yeast, salt, and flour together.
- Put all of the rest of the pastry ingredients into the stand mixer bowl.
- Add the flour on top and mix for 2 minutes on low.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on medium for 10 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Then refrigerate the dough for 2-3 hours or as long as overnight.
Make the Apple Cinnamon Filling
- While the dough is chilling peel, core, and grate 2 cups of apples.
- In a sauce pan add all of the ingredients.
- Heat on medium-low until thickened and you can see the bottom of the pan with each stir.
- Remove from the heat and let cool while the pastry dough is resting and chilling..
Assemble the Twist
- Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 10 X 12 inches.
- Spread the cooled Apple Cinnamon mixture on the dough.
- Roll up like it is a cinnamon roll (shape of a cigar or cylinder).
- Cut the cylinder in half, lengthwise pressing all the way to the table with a sharp knife.
- Separate the two halves and place one half over the center of the other half. Cut side up. The two halves form an X.
- Twist the strands to form a simple braid. (see the video)
- Tuck in the ends and place the brain on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Lightly brush with egg wash, cover, and let rise for 2 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of rising preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
- Gently brush again with the egg wash and bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Check the internal temperature at 30 minutes with an instant-read thermometer continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 190-degrees F.
- Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.
Make the Glaze
- Once the Pastry is completely cooled, make the glaze.
- Mix together all of the glaze ingredients and use a parchment cone, plastic bag with the corner cut off, or a decorating bag with a small or medium pastry tip.
- Glaze the Apple twist.
