Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Aiyo! Niat aku adalah untuk update blog everyday. Tapi so far, hanya berjaya update every 2 days. I'm so sorry. Semalam aku teramat la busy nya. I slept late, at 5am, pastu pukul 6.30am bangun, solat subuh and start masak nasi minyak hujan panas for k.mei. She ordered nasi minyak for 30 orang makan. This time, dia bagi another type of basmathi, which memang takde lagi dalam market. It's not Pusa 1121, instead it's a long, beautiful grain called Special Basmathi. Erm.. memang special pun. Bila masak, nasi jadi sangat lembut and fluffy, not as long as Pusa, tapi definitely tasted better than Pusa.

Ada yang nak beli ke? Aku rasa next year baru masuk market Malaysia. That beras Abg Zainol dapat as hamper raya from Bernas. Aku lupa la pulak nak ambik gambar nasi minyak semalam. Eh! kejap! rasanya ada lagi nasi minyak dalam peti. Erm.. but aku dah goreng, campur dengan daging nasik minyak and ayam. Most probably nasi tu dah patah sikit. Later aku godek dalam peti ok.

As for now, aku nak tunjuk hasil baking last week. Aku ada banyak sangat stok green apples. Dah boring buat apple and date cake, so I tried something different from Joy The Baker.

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Adapted from Joy The Baker
makes two loaves

For the Dough:
2 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water, about 105 to 155 degrees F.
big pinch of sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (I used 4 3/4 cups of flour)
1 cup warm whole milk, 105 to 115 degrees F.

To Make the Dough:  In a small bowl, mix together yeast, warm water and pinch of sugar.  Stir together until yeast is dissolved and set aside for 10 minutes.  Yeast will foam up.  That’s how you know it’s alive!
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, butter, cardamom, and salt.  Blend on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and add eggs and 1 cup of flour.  Blend on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated and creamy, about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer and add 2 cups more cups of flour, foamy yeast mixture, and warm milk.  Blend in medium speed until the flour disappears.  Mixture will be very wet.
Add 1 1/2 to 2 more cups of flour.  Blend until the flour is almost incorporated.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead for 5 to 8 minutes by hand.  Dough will be glossy and just slightly sticky.  Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the apple filling and the streusel.

For the Filling:
3 large apples, peeled and cut into small cubes (I used Fuji apples)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of salt

To make the Apple Filling
Toss together diced apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt.  Leave at room temperature and set aside until ready to use.

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of cardamom
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg and sugar for brushing and topping the dough before baking

To make the Streusel Filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom.  Add butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Break up the butter into the mixture, until thoroughly incorporated and crumbly.  Set aside.

Continue on with the Dough:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
When the dough has doubled in size, dump it out onto a lightly floured work surface.   Use a large knife or a bench knife to divide the dough in two.  Roll each dough piece into about a 10×14-inch rectangle.  Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture.  Add half of the apple mixture over the apples.  Add a bit of the apple juices too.  That’s fine.

Starting from the longest side, begin to roll the dough.  This isn’t like a cinnamon roll, you don’t have to roll it into a super tight swirl.  Fold in about 1 1/2 to 1-inch folds.  Keep the seam on the bottom.
Repeat the same steps for the second piece of dough.

Carefully lift roll onto the prepared baking sheet. **Now is a great time to freeze or refrigerate the coffee cake  dough for later baking.**  Take a pair of clean scissors and slice into the dough leaving about 3/4-inch of dough still attached.  Slice at 1-inch intervals.  Carefully begin to curve the sliced dough into a semi-circle/horseshoe shape.  If some of the apple juices escape, that’s ok    Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.  Best served warm with hot coffee.  Coffee cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days… or 3 hours.
**  If you decide to freeze the dough, place it in the fridge to thaw the evening before you’d like to bake it.  Once it’s thawed, slice it according to the above directions.  Allow to come to room temperature, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes beyond that.  Wash with egg and sugar, then bake.
**  If you decide to refrigerate the dough, simple take it out of the fridge, slice according to the above directions.  Let come to room temperature, then allow to rise for 30 minutes beyond that.  Brush with egg and sugar, then bake.