Epic Cinnamon Buns Recipes

OOEY-GOOEY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and 1 1/2 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle bottom of pan with 1/2 cup pecans; set aside. Melt remaining butter; set aside. Combine remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, and cinnamon; set aside.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. With serrated knife, cut into 15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the rolls.

EPIC SINGLE CINNAMON ROLL

Steps:

• Whisk lukewarm melted butter, room temperature egg, lukewarm milk, and vanilla bean paste together in a large liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
• Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. The liquid will be absorbed but the dough will still be quite dry and floury.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop and knead by hand for 3-5 minutes until the dough is combined. There shouldn't be any visible dry bits of flour and it will feel slightly sticky to the touch. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot (72°-75°F) for about an hour. The dough will not double in size, but will grow slightly and smooth out in texture. If your kitchen runs cool, you may choose to let it rise for another 30-60 minutes.
• While the dough rises, mix all the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling in a bowl until smooth. Cover and set aside room temperature.
• Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and roll into a large rectangle about ⅛" thick. Use a bench scraper to square off the dough as you roll to keep a rectangular shape. It doesn't have to be perfect. Dust the counter lightly with flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
• Arrange the dough rectangle so one of the long edges is facing you. Brush off any excess flour, then spread about ⅔ of the cinnamon sugar filling onto the surface of the dough. Leave about an inch along the top edge clear of filling.
• Roll the dough into a log starting with one of the bottom corners closest to you. For a tighter roll with more layers, gently lift and stretch the dough slightly toward your body before each forward roll.
• Gently flatten the log against the counter using your hands or a rolling pin. Be gentle but firm - you don't want to tear the layers of dough and filling inside it. You just want to flatten it into a wide strip.
• Flip the dough over so the seam side is facing up. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar filling along the top of the dough.
• Starting from one end of the dough, roll the the strip up into a coil and tuck the open end underneath it. Place inside a well-greased 5" oven-safe baking dish. Cover and set aside to rise for 1 hour in a warm spot (or 8-12 hours in the fridge) until just slightly puffy.
• During the last 30 minutes of rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake 35-40 minutes, until the internal temp at the center registers 190°F on an instant read thermometer. The top will be deeply browned and feel hard to the touch. If the top seems to be browning too quickly, after 15 minutes, tent the cinnamon roll with aluminum foil.
• Remove from oven. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then spread generously with frosting.
• Cream softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer on low-medium speed. Be patient, with such small quantities this can take a few minutes. You want the two to be fully combined, so you aren't seeing individual streaks of yellow butter and white cream cheese.
• Add the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low-medium speed after each addition for at least 2 minutes. The mixture will be quite crumbly looking.
• Add the vanilla bean paste and mix on medium speed until a very thick paste forms. Be patient here - it will happen, but it can take a few minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and mix well until you have a smooth, thick consistency. Start with 1 teaspoon. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. If needed, you can add additional heavy cream ½ teaspoon at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
• Spread frosting on the cinnamon bun while it's still warm. The heat will help loosen up the frosting so it spreads evenly.
• Serve warm!

CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until it is about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees). Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the surface over the liquid. Sprinkle a pinch of the sugar over the top and set aside without stirring, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
• Whisk the flour, the sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put dough in the buttered bowl, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Turn dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; reform into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it on the dough. Cover the entire bowl tightly with plastic and proof in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
• To fill and form the rolls: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Turn prepared dough onto a floured work surface and press, then roll into 10-by-18-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about an inch border on the side opposite you. Evenly scatter the cinnamon-sugar over the butter. Starting from the long side facing you, roll the dough up into a tight cylinder. Lightly brush the clean edge of the dough with water. Press the open long edge to the dough to seal the cylinder.
• Slip a long taut piece of string or dental floss under the roll, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Lift and cross the string ends over the roll, then pull the ends tightly in opposite directions to cut a single roll. Repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make 12 rolls. Place the rolls cut-side-down in the prepared pan, leaving 1 inch of space between them. Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until rolls double in size, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake buns until golden brown and the tops of the buns spring back when pressed lightly, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• To make the glaze: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk, butter, and lemon juice to make a smooth, slightly loose icing. Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Drizzle the icing over warm buns. Serve.

EPIC CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Start the dough at least 4 hours before you want to be eating these or plan to start it the night before and do the first rise overnight in the fridge. Mix warm milk with honey and yeast, set aside for 5-10 minutes until it starts bubbling suspiciously.
• Mix 3 cups flour and salt, add margarine, eggs, and yeast mix all at once. Stir until a very soft dough forms. Knead in last cup of flour a bit at a time until you have a soft dough that's not terribly sticky. Cover with a dish towel (or plastic wrap if going in fridge overnight) and leave in a warm place until double its size.
• In the meantime make the filling by stirring all filling ingredients together. If it's too stiff you can warm a bit, but it should not be a liquid.
• Roll out risen dough into a rectangle about the size and shape of a cookie sheet, around 1/4-12 inch thick. Spread with filling.
• Roll length-wise into a big jelly roll and cut into disks about an inch or 1 1/2 inches thick.
• Place in a lasagna pan so that when they double in size again they will be touching. This keeps them soft and gooey. Let rise.
• Either while they rise or while they bake, make the icing. Again you can warm a bit if it's too stiff, but it shouldn't be a liquid.
• Bake buns at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until just starting to colour. They should not be too crispy or dried out.
• Cool, then ice in the pan. Cut apart carefully.
• They are best warm, so attack them now or reheat in the microwave later. "Flash freezing" means freezing in a single layer, usually uncovered, until just solid, then packaging for longer term storage.