You will need approx. 3 hours to make the Apple Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough

1. Measure the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
2. Lightly mix the ingredients together using the dough hook.
3. Add the egg to the bowl.
4. Slowly pour in the warm milk, and continue mixing until everything comes together into a rough dough.
5. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Once the butter has been fully incorporated into the dough, add the next tablespoon of butter.
6. Once all of the butter has been added, continue kneading the dough on medium speed for about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. The dough is ready when it is soft and smooth, and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. The dough will be somewhat sticky from the butter and egg.

For the First Proofing Session

1. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl.
2. Place the dough inside the bowl.
3. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel, plastic wrap, or a reusable bowl cover.
4. Leave the dough somewhere warm for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size (see Kitchen Notes below).

For the Apple Compote (makes a bit more than you need)

1. Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Bring the pan to a simmer over medium-high heat.
3. Cook until the apples have softened to your liking and most of the liquid has evaporated. This can take 5-10 minutes. For this recipe, I suggest aiming for a rather chunky apple compote with some large pieces of apple for texture.
4. If the mixture looks too thick or dry, you can loosen the mixture with some more water.
5. Taste the compote to see if it needs more sugar.
6. Depending on the type of apple that you have used, some apples break down quickly, whilst others keep their shape upon cooking. If you have used firm apples, you can mash them roughly with a potato masher or a fork. 
7. Set the compote aside to cool completely.

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

1. Just before the dough is ready, make the filling by beating together the ingredients in a bowl.

To Shape the Apple Cinnamon Rolls

1. Line a 25 cm/10 inch round baking dish or cake pan with baking paper.
2. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently remove the dough from the bowl. The dough will deflate as you handle it.
3. Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape measuring approximately 40 x 30 cm/16 x 12 inches.
4. Use a small palette knife to evenly spread the cinnamon-sugar filling all over the dough.
5. Then spread the apple compote on top of the cinnamon-sugar. You may not need all of the apple compote.
6. Roll up the dough tightly from the short end, i.e. to produce a log that is 30 cm/12 inches long.
7. At this stage, the dough might be very soft. You can place it in the fridge until it firms up, or you can proceed with the recipe with some careful shaping of the dough.
8. Cut the dough into 8 even pieces using a very sharp knife.
9. Arrange the slices of dough in the baking pan. If the dough is very soft, you may need to coax the slices back into round shapes - it might get a little messy!

For the Second Proofing Session

1. Place the pan somewhere warm for about 20-30 minutes, or until the buns have risen and puffed up slightly.

To Bake the Apple Cinnamon Rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (without fan) with a metal baking tray on the middle shelf.
2. Place the pan of buns on the preheated baking tray.
3. Bake the buns for 10 minutes. 
4. Reduce the heat to 180°C/356°F and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the buns are lightly golden. Check the buns at about 10 minutes, and if they are browning too quickly, cover them with a loose sheet of foil for the rest of the baking time.
5. The buns are cooked if an internal thermometer reads 85°C/185°F.
6. Gently remove the buns (intact) to a wire rack, and leave them to cool completely.

To Frost the Apple Cinnamon Rolls

1. Make the frosting by whisking together the ingredients. Add the milk gradually until the frosting is a thick, but runny, consistency.
2. Drizzle the frosting all over the cooled Apple Cinnamon Rolls.
3. The Apple Cinnamon Rolls can be served immediately or once the frosting has set. They are best eaten the same day they are baked.