In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast. Whisk together and let sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy.

Add the remaining sugar, eggs, bread flour, butter, and salt to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 6–7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t worry if it’s too sticky it will be firm up.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, perform one stretch and fold (lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself, repeating on all four sides). Cover again.

Place the covered dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to work with when rolling out. While the dough is rising, make the apple filling.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the corn starch and water. Toss until evenly combined.

Transfer the apple mixture to a medium-large pot over medium-high heat. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring with a rubber spatula. Make your slurry by adding the cold water to the corn starch; set aside.

As the apples begin to cook, they'll release liquid. About 5 minutes. Once the apples have softened slightly, add the slurry to the mixture, stirring constantly. It should start to thicken after about 30 seconds — if it hasn't, make a little more slurry.

Remove the apple mixture and transfer to a container. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy lifting later. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make sure the apple filling is fully cooled, not warm — if it's warm, it will slide off the dough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream together the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Set aside.

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 12x16 inches. Try to keep the edges even so the rolls bake uniformly.

Spread the brown sugar filling evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula to reach the edges.

Spread ¾ of the apple filling on top of the cinnamon sugar filling (reserve the rest for topping later).

Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter — about 1⅓ inches wide and 12 inches long. Take your time to keep the cuts straight.

Working one at a time, roll each strip into a loose spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward. Gently tuck in any escaping filling and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact. Pinch the end seam lightly to seal.

Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan, 3 across and 4 down. Leave a little space between them — they'll puff into each other as they rise and bake.

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 60–90 minutes in a warm spot, until puffy and nearly doubled. While the rolls rise, make the streusel.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Pour in the cooled melted butter and mix with a fork until clumps form — you want crumbly clusters, not dough. If it looks too sandy, squeeze some together with your hands.

Spread evenly on the prepared pan and bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool completely, then break into large pieces.

Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (it will need a few minutes to come back up to temp after the streusel).

Warm the heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (about 15–20 seconds in the microwave). Gently pour it evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.

Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden brown on top. These rolls take a while to bake since they need time to absorb the cream.

If the rolls brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting. While cooling, make the cream cheese frosting.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then beat for 2 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined.

Increase to medium-high and beat 2–3 more minutes until light and fluffy. If too soft to pipe, chill for 10–15 minutes.

Once the rolls have cooled slightly, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting evenly over the tops.

Drizzle the remaining apple filling on top.

Generously sprinkle with the streusel crumble. Serve warm or at room temperature.