Jane’s Sweets & Baking Journal -- http://janessweets.blogspot.com -- November 2010

Autumn Sweet Rolls with Apple, Quince, and Pear Filling

(This recipe was adapted from one my late mom used to make; she credited the dough to “a 1971 book edited by Farm Journal.” The filling recipe is my own.)

To make the filling:

2 small firm apples (I used Granny Smith)

2 medium size quinces

1 medium size pear (I used Anjou)

1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Peel, core, and dice the fruit into small pieces; put all of it in a medium size heavy-bottom saucepan. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir the fruit. Stir together the sugar and flour in a small bowl, then add that to the fruit and toss to combine and coat. Heat over a medium-low flame, stirring periodically, until mixture looks very juicy and the pieces begin to soften. If there's not much juice at all, add in a few tablespoons of water or apple juice. Raise the heat and cook until the mixture boils, checking it frequently and stirring, then turn it down and let it reduce until it's thickened. All of this may take up to half an hour or so--just use your own judgment (the only way to wreck it, really, is to burn it!). Pour the mixture into a bowl, stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg, and let it cool completely before using it as filling (it's okay to cool it off in the fridge, and that will help thicken it).

To make the dough:

3/4 cup scalded milk (the milk is heated, but is not allowed to boil)

1/2 cup softened butter, unsalted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 and 1/4 tsp. salt (I used regular salt)

1 Tbsp. instant yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees --what lukewarm feels like)

4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 large egg, mixed with 1 Tbsp. of water, to use only as an egg wash right before baking

In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the warm milk, butter, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour and all of the instant yeast; add this into the mixer bowl. On low speed, beat for 1 minute, then add in the two lightly beaten eggs, mixing just to combine. A little at a time, still on the lowest speed, add in the remainder of the flour. Mix just enough to make a soft dough that eventually leaves the sides of the bowl. Now, switch to the dough hook, and knead on low speed for 4 minutes (or, if you prefer, knead entirely by hand for 8 minutes).

Then, take the dough out of the bowl, and finish kneading it by hand on a lightly floured surface; knead until it feels elastic, satiny, and it's no longer sticky. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough over to grease both sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then with a lightweight dish towel, and place it in a warmer-than-room temperature spot to rise until it doubles in volume; this may take up to about 90 minutes.

Remove the risen dough from its bowl and divide it in half; put half the dough back into the bowl and cover it with the plastic while you're working with the other half. To shape the dough into individual twirls (versus one long roll), use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape about 12" by 9". Spread half the filling onto it, pushing it toward the edges with the back of a large spoon or a spatula.

Beginning at the long side of the dough, carefully roll it up, pinching to seal the long seam as best you can; place it seam side down on a cutting surface (it may seem pretty floppy and soft, but don't worry). Using an extremely sharp knife (like a chef's knife, not a serrated bread knife), cut the roll into pieces about 1 and 1/2 inches thick. Lift the pieces gently and place them on their sides, evenly spaced, into a well greased baking pan (I used an 8"  square metal pan and I sprayed it first with Pam, then I used a combo of butter and Crisco to grease it--sounds like overkill, but you can't be too careful--that's my motto!). 

Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and a dish towel, and let it rise again for about one hour, until almost doubled. Preheat the oven to 375.

Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with the egg wash. Place the pan on top of a cookie sheet to help prevent the bottom of the rolls from burning. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and no longer wet looking. Let the rolls cool for just a few minutes, then cover the pan with a cooling rack. Now, quickly and firmly invert it. The bottom becomes the top; you should see a lot of fruit on the rolls as you pull off the pan. Let them cool on the rack until slightly warm, then drizzle them with the icing.

Alternately, if you'd prefer to shape your dough (meaning, half of your entire batch of dough) into one long roll, follow the above instructions for shaping (roll out a 12" x 9" rectangle, spread the filling on it, roll it up lengthwise, pinch the seam closed, and place seam-side down on a generous sheet of parchment paper), but instead of slicing the roll into individual pieces with a knife, take a sharp pair of scissors and nip little "V" shapes into the top of the roll at intervals of about 1" or so, to make little windows that will allow the fruit to be seen and steam to escape. Cover the long roll with greased plastic wrap, then with a dishtowel, and let it rise again until almost doubled (about an hour).

Bake the long roll on a sheet of parchment that's been placed onto 2 layered cookie sheets (again, 2 sheets will help prevent the bottom of burning), at 375 degrees in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes; at that point, if the top is already quite golden, cover it lightly with foil and keep on baking until the loaf/roll feels kind of firm and the bottom is deep golden brown, but not dark brown. Let it cool on a cooling rack, and when it's still slightly warm, drizzle it with the icing.

To make the icing:

In a small bowl, stir about 1 and 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar together with a couple tablespoons of heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2, along with 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar, or more cream. Stir until completely smooth.

Best eaten while really fresh!