All puns aside, a great cinnamon bun is hard to find. The only way I felt I could satisfy my hunger for a warm sweet, cinnamon-y bun, was to make my own. I wanted to be able to smell them baking in my own kitchen, just enough to warm my heart. No "Cinnabon" could replace that fresh from the oven sensation we all love so much.
Baking any kind of yeast dough is a lengthy
process...from mixing the dough, letting it rise, forming the dough, and
then letting it rise again. It was an all day process for me, but well
worth the wait. Looks like the little dough boy helped too!!
Continue reading for recipe...
(Revised from America's Test Kitchen, All-Time Best Holiday Recipes)
Ultimate Cinnamon Buns
Filling
1 ½ c. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Combine all ingredients and set aside.
4 tablespoons butter--Melt and set aside for brushing on dough
1 ½ c. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Combine all ingredients and set aside.
4 tablespoons butter--Melt and set aside for brushing on dough
Icing
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1. Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.
Dough
¾ c. whole milk
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) rapid-rise yeast
3 large eggs, room temperature
4 ¼ c. a/p flour, plus more for dusting table
½ c. cornstarch
½ c. sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces
¾ c. whole milk
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) rapid-rise yeast
3 large eggs, room temperature
4 ¼ c. a/p flour, plus more for dusting table
½ c. cornstarch
½ c. sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. (This is where the dough will rise. When the dough is ready to proof, turn oven off). Line 2 9x9 baking pans with foil (allow foil to hang over edges for easy removal of buns) and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Heat milk to 110 degrees, and pour into small bowl. Add yeast and let dissolve for 5-10 mins. Stir to dissolve any last granules. Whisk in eggs. Set aside.
3. In bowl of mixer, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. With dough hook attachment, and mixer on low speed, add warm milk mixture in steady stream.
4. Then, with mixer on medium speed, add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more flour at this time to get the dough to come together and release from the bowl. (Don’t forget to turn off oven right about now).
5. Turn dough onto dusted surface and knead to form smooth, round ball.
2. Heat milk to 110 degrees, and pour into small bowl. Add yeast and let dissolve for 5-10 mins. Stir to dissolve any last granules. Whisk in eggs. Set aside.
3. In bowl of mixer, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. With dough hook attachment, and mixer on low speed, add warm milk mixture in steady stream.
4. Then, with mixer on medium speed, add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more flour at this time to get the dough to come together and release from the bowl. (Don’t forget to turn off oven right about now).
5. Turn dough onto dusted surface and knead to form smooth, round ball.
6. Spray a medium oven proof bowl with pan spray, and place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven. Let rise in oven for 2 hours. It should double in size.
To assemble buns:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove dough from oven and discard plastic wrap. Turn dough onto a slightly floured surface. Roll into an 18 inch square, or to the thickness you prefer. (The thinner you roll it, the more layers you will have).
3. Brush dough with prepared butter. Generously sprinkle with filling (use it all!)
4. Starting with nearest edge, roll dough into a tight cylinder, and pinch lightly to seal seam.
5. To make the ulitimate cinnamon buns, cut into 8 pieces. For smaller ones, cut into as many pieces as you prefer. Place buns in prepared 9x9 pans, cut side up, and gently press top.
6. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm spot (on top of preheated oven) until doubled in size, about one hour.
7 . Discard plastic and bake buns until golden brown (for ultimate 35-40 mins). Smaller buns will take less time to bake and rise.
8. Remove from oven and drizzle with half of glaze. Let cool 30 mins. Then ice with remaining glaze. (Yes, I iced them TWO times!)
9. Lift with foil out of pans. Serve warm.
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