Breakfast · By James
Cinnamon Buns — the best!
A quintessential comfort food in our family, going back to Sharon's and my childhoods with our mothers' cinnamon buns. Always searching for the ultimate cinnamon bun, I found a recipe that included more butter, and the addition of whipping cream before baking — this created the soft, slightly gooey Cinnabon style of bun. It was an immediate classic, shared with extended family as well (Brooke makes them quite often, sustaining their family for a day working the ranch). One of the dynamics in our family has always been Cam and brother Phil's visceral need for soft white buns/bread, ever since they were both little — definitely a genetic link. And, that link, at least for these cinnamon buns, seems to be there for Joc too. The dough for these cinnamon buns is so rich and soft that the family are powerless in the face of a pan of these. If 12 buns are a little too much temptation, you can easily halve the recipe and do 6 buns. The other option is to do 12, since you're baking anyway, and just freeze the buns you don't finish. They freeze very well!
Ingredients
Dough (12 buns)
- 1 cup warm milk (warm to touch)
- 2½ tsp active dry (traditional) yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup butter (melted, but make sure it isn't hot; just barely melted, or even softened, is fine)
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 1 tsp salt
Filling
- ¾ cup salted butter, almost melted
- 1½ cups packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup liquid honey or corn syrup
- 6 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: add raisins if desired
- ½ cup heavy/whipping cream (for pouring over the risen rolls)
Frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
Method
- 1
Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Add the sugar and mix. Allow the yeast to "bloom" in the bowl (about 10 minutes).
- 2
Add to the yeast mixture the eggs, butter, salt. Then add in 4 cups of the flour (save the other ½ cup and add only if you need it), and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
- 3
Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
- 4
Beat the dough on medium speed, adding in up to ½ cup more flour if needed, to form a dough. Knead for 5–7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth.
- 5
The dough should be tacky and will still be sticking a bit to the sides of the bowl. That's ok! Don't be tempted to add more flour at this point. We generally add about 4½ cups, but start with 4 cups.
- 6
Coat a large bowl with a fine film of butter. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl. Cover the bowl. Set the bowl in warm oven (proofing temp of 150°F) and allow the dough to rise until double. It normally takes about 30 minutes.
- 7
Don't allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.
- 8
While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Set aside. You want this mixture to be slightly warm when spreading it on the dough, so just slightly warm it in the microwave (10 seconds) before using.
- 9
Sprinkle counter generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the counter and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
- 10
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24 × 15 inch rectangle (the size of the rectangle can vary… it does not have to be exact).
- 11
Warm the cinnamon filling slightly, then use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
- 12
Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly, jelly roll style.
- 13
Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9 × 13 baking pan.
- 14
Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.
- 15
Preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F convection).
- 16
Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don't make it hot — you just don't want it cold. It should be warm to the touch.
- 17
Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls.
- 18
Bake for 20–22 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Note… the time will vary based on how big the rolls are, what type of pan, how close the rolls are packed, etc. They could take up to 25 minutes.
- 19
While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well. Add in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar. Beat until combined, and spread frosting over the rolls.
- 20
If you spread it over fully cooled rolls then the frosting will be fluffy, but if you spread it over slightly warm rolls then it will melt into the rolls a bit.
A note from James
The frosting amount can be halved — it gives a lot of icing for the 12 buns. Make-ahead: we often make the cinnamon rolls the night before and get them to the point of the second rise (rolled out, cut up and put in the pan), then cover and refrigerate them until morning. The rolls should continue to rise in the fridge but if by morning they have not doubled in size, turn your oven on to 150°F, then turn it off. Place the pan in the oven for about 30 minutes until the rolls double in size. Take out the rolls and turn the oven up to 375°F (350°F convection). When the oven is ready, pour on the heavy cream (warmed slightly), and let them bake. Drink pairing: Coffee.
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