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Back to Basics: The perfect pastry
Celebrate the weekend with these easy and seriously delicious Cinnamon Buns
There’s something special about the aroma of freshly baked pastries in the morning, especially on the weekend. However, going to a bakery means that you have to leave your cozy home, drive, and spend extra money and time, which can easily spoil the relaxing weekend mood. So, unless you can get home delivery or have a personal chef working for you, the best option is to make it yourself.
This might seem fun to some, but for others, the idea can be intimidating and off-putting — but it doesn’t have to be. Imagine waking up on a weekend morning to the tempting smell and flavor of delicious cinnamon buns, all made with minimal effort and no special skills or tools needed. With my recipe, you can easily make yummy cinnamon buns like a professional with just a few simple steps. A nice bonus is that making these 12 perfect cinnamon buns is budget friendly.
Those with a stand-alone stand mixer with a hook attachment will have a super easy time and will be able to stay organized. However, those without can still prepare these cinnamon buns using a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, and their hands.
The main formula is simple: first, mix all the dry ingredients and then add all the wet ingredients. Place bread flour, sugar, active dry yeasts, and a little bit of salt into the mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Bread flour, which typically has a higher percentage of the protein called gluten, is the best choice as it supports the rising and proofing process. The presence of gluten is required for the yeast reaction, and a higher amount of gluten makes the entire process of rising and proofing even smoother. If you do not have bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour, which would be the second-best option.
I recommend briefly hand stirring all the dry ingredients with a whisk to provide a more even distribution of the active dry yeast. This will result in a slightly more even and effective rise. Then add lukewarm milk (briefly preheat in the microwave or on the stove), eggs, and soft unsalted butter (room temperature). Attach the hook and process until a fully combined and slightly sticky dough is reached.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it with a plate or plastic food wrap. Then let it rise in a warm place until it has about doubled in size, which usually takes one to two hours.
The best place to let your dough rise would be your oven. Some modern ovens have a proofing/rising bread program, which would be the best option. If your oven doesn’t have this program, you can still use your oven for the same purpose by simply setting up your oven to start preheating at the lowest possible temperature and letting it go for about a minute or two until a comfortable, sauna-like temperature is reached.
Letting the dough rise at room temperature will slow down the process and can be used when suitable. For example, if you would like to prepare your dough in the morning with the intention to bake them in the evening, or more commonly, with the intention to prepare the dough in the evening and bake it in the morning, which is what we most commonly end up doing in my family.
When the dough has doubled, it is time to form the buns. Before you start, quickly prepare a brushing mixture by briefly hand whisking 1 egg with 1/2 cup of milk. Then place the dough on a slightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, flatten it into a square shape about 18- by 18-inches. Place soft butter (room temperature), that was cut into a few pieces, on top of the dough. Using a silicone spatula, distribute the butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough, with the exception of a 1-inch connection strip on one end of the dough (any of the four sides). This strip will be later brushed with the brushing mixture and will connect the seam.
Evenly sprinkle the entire buttered part with brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Brown sugar is especially beneficial for cinnamon rolls thanks to its deep and rich flavor, but it can be replaced with regular sugar if needed. Then brush the connection strip with the brushing mixture and roll it into a roulade (make sure that the connection strip ends up being on the top of the rolled dough).
Cut the roulade into 12 even cinnamon rolls using a knife. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving equal spaces between each bun. Brush all the buns with part of the brushing mixture and let them proof in a warm place until the buns expand by at least 50 percent, but preferably more.
Recipe
Cinnamon Buns
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose) + Extra flour for flouring
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk — about 90 degrees to 100 degrees (preheat in the microwave)
2 eggs
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter — soft, cut into small pieces (room temperature)
For filling (adjust if needed):
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter — soft, cut into small pieces (room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar (sugar)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Optional glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons water *
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional: food coloring (follow the package’s instructions)
*3 to 4 tablespoons for thick glaze or 4 to 5 for fine glaze
Directions:
For the dough: Place into the stand mixer with a hook attachment: 5 1/2 cups flour (part of the total amount); 1 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon active dry yeasts; 1/2 teaspoon salt. Shortly stir with a whisk just enough to combine all ingredients (about 1 minute).
Next, add 1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk; 2 eggs; 1 stick of butter and knead on low speed until all ingredients are partially incorporated (about 1 to 2 minutes). Then, increase the speed to medium-high and knead until a sticky dough is formed (about 1 to 2 minutes).
Rising the dough: Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it with a plate. Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 to 2 hours).
For brushing mixture: Prepare a brushing mixture by briefly hand-whisking 1 egg with 1/2 cup milk in a measuring pitcher (for whisking, you can also use a silicone brush).
To form buns: Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and then, using a rolling pin, flatten it into a square shape (about 18-inches by 18-inches).
Tips:
If the dough is too sticky to work with, consider incorporating more flour — simply place the dough back into the mixing bowl and add more flour. Process until fully incorporated. Work gradually, and do not add too much flour at the time.
If the dough sticks to the rolling pin during rolling, consider gently flouring the top of the dough.
Add on the top of the dough: Take the 1 stick of butter — cut into small pieces and softened and spread evenly with a silicone spatula to cover the entire surface of the dough, with the exception of a 1-inch strip on one side — the connection part further referred as a connection strip.
(The 1-inch connection strip on one end will be used for connecting the roll together. This section will be brushed with a brushing mixture to connect the seam. You can choose any of the 4 sides.)
Tip:
If the butter is too hard to spread, consider microwaving it to make it softer (do not microwave it too long in order to prevent melting).
Then, evenly sprinkle the entire surface brushed with butter with: 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Next, brush the connection strip with the brushing mixture (the part without butter and sugar).
Roll into a long roulade (roll) starting at the opposite end of the connection.
Then cut into 12 even cinnamon rolls using a knife.
Place 12 rolls on a baking sheet and keep even spaces between each bun and the edges.
Proofing: Brush all buns with part of the brushing mixture. Let them proof in a warm place until the buns expand at least 50 percent but preferably double (about 1 hour).
For baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush again with the remaining brushing mixture. Bake in a preheated oven until all turn golden (about 20 to 25 minutes).
Test to make sure a toothpick comes out clean. When done baking, remove from the oven and let cool for at least 3 minutes before serving or before dipping in glaze (it doesn’t need to be fully cooled, but it needs to be cool enough for you to be able to hold it in your hand).
For the optional glaze: Place 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 5 tablespoons water and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into a medium mixing bowl and thoroughly stir together with a whisk until fully incorporated (about 30 seconds).
Tip:
Work one by one, and after finishing the first one, try to determine if the glaze thickness meets your expectations. If you then find out that you would prefer a thicker glaze, simply stir in some powdered sugar. If you then find out that you would like a thinner glaze, simply stir in some water.
Take each and place into the glaze (top part facing the glaze). Let sit in the glaze for a few seconds. Slowly take it out and let part of the glaze drip off for a few seconds before turning. Then, place it on a cooling rack, baking sheet, or plate. For best results, let the glaze harden at room temperature before serving (usually about 10 to 15 minutes).
Source: Tom Slepicka
When the buns have expanded, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is preheated, brush the buns with the remaining brushing mixture and place them in the oven to bake until done — all buns will turn a nice, appetizing golden color. This usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure to perform a toothpick test before ending the baking. When done, remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly until you are able to hold them in your hand, bout three minutes. Then you can simply dust the buns with sugar or you can take it one step further and glaze them.
Glazing buns can be done in different ways. My method is one of the easiest because it doesn’t require additional baking and is done in just a few minutes. You simply stir together powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Use a little more water for a light glaze and a little less for a thicker glaze (follow my recipe for the amount instructions). Then work one-by-one by taking each bun and placing it into the glaze with the top part facing the glaze. Let it sit for a few seconds and then slowly remove it while letting part of the glaze drip off for a few seconds before turning. Then place it on the cooling rack, baking sheet, or plate and repeat with the remaining buns. When done, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to let the glaze harden.
That’s it. It’s pretty simple, right?
So now it’s time to make yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and enjoy your scrumptious cinnamon buns. Have a happy morning!
Tom Slepicka is the founder of www.cookinghub.com, and is a recipe creator, culinary instructor, chef, and a consultant. You can reach him at tom@cookinghub.com.
Good to know
Bleached flour: The bleaching of flour is indeed done to make the flour look whiter and softer, which can help achieve a more consistent and fluffier baking product. The process involves treating the flour with chemicals like chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide. While it's true that some nutrients, such as vitamin E, are lost during the bleaching process, the health effects of consuming bleached flour are still a topic of debate. Some studies have linked the consumption of bleached flour to health issues, but these findings are inconclusive.
Bromated flour: Bromating is used to improve dough strength, allow for higher rising, and help achieve a nice white color. Bromating is performed by adding a chemical called potassium bromate to the flour. Similar to bleaching, some nutrients may be lost during this process. There are indeed concerns about the potential health effects of potassium bromate, including its links to cancer in animal models. However, human studies have not conclusively established a causal relationship between bromated flour consumption and cancer risk.
The use of both bleaching and bromating agents in flour varies across different countries. In the European Union, the use of these agents is prohibited. The same applies to Canada and China.
Choosing unbleached and unbromated flour can be a personal preference based on health concerns or a desire for minimal processing. You can achieve great baking results with unbleached and unbromated flour, especially if you follow a good recipe.
In the United States, some bakers, especially larger producers, do use bleached and bromated flour to improve the consistency of their products and to eliminate the need for skilled bakers to be present in the kitchen. However, many bakers and consumers are becoming more aware of the potential health concerns associated with these agents and are choosing alternatives.
In conclusion, while the bleaching and bromating of flour can enhance certain baking properties, there are potential health concerns associated with these processes. Therefore, many people, including me, choose to use unbleached and unbromated flour. As always, it's important to make informed decisions about the food you consume and serve to your family.
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