Cinnamon buns
Homemade cinnamon buns. They are pretty easy to make, but the process can be time consuming, The first batch I made with the KitchenAid, it was pretty straight forward, minimal hand kneading at the end. The second batch was all by hand. I creamed the butter eggs and sugar with a metal spoon, hand mixed the buttermilk and flour, etc. I actually preferred this method. It was really easy to gauge the batter. When using a stand mixer, you can over flour the dough, when mixing by hand, it is easy to get the desired consistency.I had some vanilla sugar, so I used that in the recipe, and I added a little orange extract to the sugar at the beginning. There are a few schools of thought for the filling of the buns. I've done the butter/sugar/cinnamon filling. Granted -- this tastes great, but it is incredibly messy, and it doesn't add that much to the final flavor. The added moisture reduces the lifespan of the rolls. I prefer a dry method - cinnamon and sugar - that's it.
When cooked, these buns have a strong, warming, cinnamon aroma and flavor. The buns are not overly sweet, and they can be topped with a quick glaze. I think the last batch made 20 buns, the reheat very well, and taste so much better then the canned kind.
If you want them fresh baked in the morning - you may have a problem. If you retard the rising in the refrigerator, they need 4 hours to come to temperature and rise. Otherwise, they need 2 hours to proof the second time. the last time, I rolled and cut the buns, then dropped them in to chill for a few hours. At 1:30 in the morning, I placed the two covered baking sheets on the counter. They rose for more then the allotted time, but they came out perfectly when baked.
Recipe is adapted from The bread Bakers Apprentice
Buttermilk Cinnamon Buns
- 6 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 9 ounces buttermilk
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture
- glaze
Cream the salt, butter, an sugar together. Add the lemon zest and any other base flavorings (orange, vanilla, etc). Add the egg and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the flour and yeast, then add the buttermilk. Mix slowly by hand until a ball forms. Knead the dough on a flowered surface for 12 to 15 minutes. The dough should pass the windowpane test. You may need to knead the bread for a longer period of time. Mine took about 20 minutes (including a little time for the dough to rest).
Place the dough into a bowl and coat with oil. Turning the dough so all sides are coated. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let sit for two hours. It should double in size.
Transfer the dough to a counter and begin to roll it out into a rectangle. You may need to dust the dough with flour if it starts to stick. Once it is at a desired thickness (1/4 to 3/4 inches thick), generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the rectangle, leaving 1/2 inches untouched at the top.
Tightly roll the dough to form a log. Place the seam side down and cut the rolls. Make sure that they are evenly cut. For cinnabon style buns, cut them just under 2 inches thick. For something you might be able to finish - about 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches thick.
Place them on parchment paper or silpat, about 2 inches apart.
Allow the buns to proof for 90 minutes. I like mince to be separate, if you want them clustered, you can cram them in closer. about 1/2 inches between each-other. They will double in size. If you decide to cut and place the buns, then place them in the refrigerator, it will take 4 hours for them to come to temperature and rise.
Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes at 340 degrees.
let cool for 10 minutes before glazing and serving.
To reheat -- about 30 seconds in the microwave. We store the leftovers in the fridge.
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