Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread with Salted Maple Butter

This Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread is the coziest Autumn treat. It's filled with tart, juicy apples and cinnamon spice, then glazed with a Salted Maple Butter Sauce. You're going to love it!

I'm ready to stop whining about the end of summer (mostly). I'm still unhappy about having to find matching socks and shoes for everyone every day (can't we just wear sandals all year long?), but apples, and pears, and a cool breeze coming in my bedroom window every night are definitely encouraging me to embrace the new season. 

And just in time too. Today, I'm able to say, and almost mean it, Happy First Day of October. To celebrate, I bring you this Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread. It's just the thing for all those cozy baking days you'll need to keep you warm in the coming season. 

This Apple Skillet Cake is so dreamy. It's like a giant, soft cinnamon roll . . . but full of apples . . . and topped with Salted Maple Butter Sauce. All those finely diced apples result in tart juicy bursts of flavor in every bite. 

My favorite part is the way the cinnamon, butter, and juice from the fresh apples all drip down into the skillet to create a sticky, crunchy layer of sweetness along the bottom of the skillet bread. It makes it hard to restrain all the mmmmmm -ing and ooooohhhh -ing that a warm slice of this inevitably inspires. 

The skillet bread is delicious straight out of the oven. Sweet, but not overly sweet, and so tender and sticky. 

But the sauce really takes it to the next level. I love just a little salty with my sweet, so a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes in a buttery maple sauce makes this my favorite. 

Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread 

This skillet bread is not difficult to make, but it does require a good amount of time. It's mostly rest time, but you'll want to plan a baking day with a few hours when you add this to your menu. 

It's a pretty basic sweet roll dough, soft and easy to work with. Spread that with a cinnamon, sugar, butter mixture, then top with finely diced apples. 

Then roll the whole thing up into one great long log, starting on the long side. 

Then take a sharp knife and cut an opening lengthwise to expose the apple layer. Be careful to leave about an inch at one end.

Carefully twist the log, folding each strand over the other. Then, transfer the twist into a buttered 10 inch skillet and arrange it in a circle around the skillet, with an opening in the center. At this point, preheat your oven and let the dough rise one final time in the pan. 

When it's ready to go, it will have puffed up and filled the whole pan (see picture below). 

Now, just add a drizzle of that Salted Maple Butter Sauce and get a fork. There's no better way to welcome October than with a big bite of this Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread. 

Yield: 10 slices

Cinnamon Apple Skillet Bread with Salted Maple Butter

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Prep Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Bread

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• ¼ cup, plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (divided)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

For the Filling

• 2 cups finely diced tart apple (I used 2 medium honey crisp), no need to peel
• 6 tablespoons very soft butter
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Egg Wash

• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 egg yolk

For the Sauce

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ¼ cup real maple syrup
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes, or similar

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the milk and continue to heat for a minute more, or until the milk is warm, but not hot (less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit). (Alternatively, you can do this in the microwave, just be sure to check the temperature.) Remove from heat.
2. Stir the 2 teaspoons of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the warm milk mixture. Let it dissolve and rise for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it's puffy and smells like bread.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining sugar, salt, and flour. Whisk to combine. When the yeast is ready, add it to the flour mixture and knead on low with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides as needed. When the dough comes together it will be soft, but not too sticky.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place the dough into a greased glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has at least doubled in size.
5. To prepare the filling: combine the softened butter, cinnamon, and sugar to make a melty paste.
6. When the dough is ready, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, approximately 12x18 inches. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, then top with the finely chopped apples. Roll it up into a log lengthwise (see pictures in post above).
7. With a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise leaving about an inch uncut at the end. Gently twist the two strands over and under each other.
8. Place the twisted dough around the inside edges of a greased 10 inch skillet. Cover lightly and let it rise for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. When the dough has risen and is ready to bake, whisk together the egg yolk and water. Brush the egg wash over the dough, avoiding the exposed cuts. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and puffy.
11. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients and drizzle over the bread before serving. Best served warm.