¼ cup grapeseed oil (or any neutral flavoured oil) + more for coating bowl
1¼ to 1½ cups all purpose flour + more for rolling
1¼ cup bread flour (or more all purpose flour)
¼ tsp sea salt
STICKY SAUCE
⅔ cup toasted walnuts
¼ cup vegan margarine
½ cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp sea salt
FILLING
2 large or 3 small honeycrisp apples, chopped into small cubes
3 tbsp vegan margarine, divided
½ cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
DOUGH: Warm almond milk and maple syrup in a microwave for 40 to 60 seconds, or until warm to the touch but not scalding. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes. Activated yeast should be foamy.
Mix 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, bread flour, and salt briefly in stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to roughly combine.
Pour the grapeseed oil and activated yeast into the bowl of the standing mixer containing the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until a thick and sticky dough forms. Increase to medium speed and knead the dough with the dough hook attachment for 5 to 7 minutes or until a soft dough forms and begins to gather around the hook. Add up to ¼ cup more of all purpose flour after 2 minutes if dough still looks too wet. Finished dough will wrap around the hook like a ball and still be a bit sticky. Avoid over-kneading for soft and fluffy bread.
Oil a large mixing bowl and transfer the dough into the oiled bowl. Turn the dough a few times to coat the surface of the dough with oil. This will prevent it from sticking as it rises. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and store in a warm place and draft-free place (such as a microwave that isn't turned on) to allow dough to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
APPLE FILLING: Heat 1 tbsp of vegan margarine in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Sautee apples until starting to soften. Transfer cooked apples into a bowl and return the pan back to the stovetop.
STICKY SAUCE: Heat ¼ cup margarine and ½ cup coconut sugar. Simmer and whisk until combined and glossy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the 2 tbsp of maple syrup and sea salt. Immediately pour the sticky sauce into the bottom of a greased baking pan (I used a 9" loaf pan + 8" round). Scatter the toasted walnuts over the sticky sauce. Wash the pan you cooked the sauce in with hot water right away as it will harden quickly!
CINNAMON FILLING: Mix the remaining 2 tbsp margarine with the ½ cup coconut sugar and cinnamon to make a paste. Set aside.
Once dough has expanded to twice its initial size, punch the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll into a ¼ inch thick rectangle and spread generously with the cinnamon filling, spreading all the way to the edges. Scatter the cooked apples over the cinnamon filling.
Roll the dough up tightly starting from the long side. Slice into 14 even pieces and arrange on top of the walnut sticky sauce. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350⁰F while the dough is proofing for the second time.
After the second proofing, bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Once the buns have finished baking, immediately invert onto serving plates (wear your oven mitts!). Scrape all the sticky sauce out of the pan and wash the pan right away in hot water! Buns are best enjoyed warm while the sauce is still gooey.
Recipe by Radiant Rachels at https://radiantrachels.com/sticky-walnut-apple-cinnamon-buns/