Classic Sticky Cinnamon Buns
One bite of a warm cinnamon bun will bring back happy childhood memories of sweet indulgences. This recipe has a few steps, but they are done at different points in the process, so there's no worry about rushing.
Cinnamon buns should never be modest. Feel free to add more butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and pecans as desired to the filling or syrup. The recipes for cream cheese and sugar icings are found below the instructions. These buns freeze well. Pull them apart or wrap them individually for easy reach at a hungry moment.
Thanks to my friend and former colleague, Helen Ducharme for this recipe, which tastes just like my late grandmother's delicious cinnamon buns. Whole wheat cinnamon buns, very similar to the popular treat made by Winnipeg's Tall Grass Prairie Bakery, can be found here.
More bread recipes: Challah, No-Knead Artisan French Bread, No-Knead Artisan Rye or Whole Wheat, No-Knead Irish Brown Bread (with Stout), Crusty Baguettes, Soft Baguettes, New York Style Bagels, Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns, Foccaccia, Classic White Bread, Pillowy Buttermilk Buns, Flax and Honey Bread, Portuguese Cornmeal Bread, Olive Bread, One-Rise Buttermilk Bread, Chocolate Babka, Pumpernickel Bread, Italian Bread (Pani di Terni)
Time: 4 hours (including rising)
Makes: 8, 12 or 16 (according to your preference)
Ingredients for the Dough
2 tablespoons dry yeast (1 package) or 1/10 lb. cake yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
Ingredients for the Filling (add more if desired)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 -4 tablespoons very soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)
Ingredients for the Syrup (add more if desired)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
30 pecan halves (optional)
Method
Put the sugar and butter in the milk and warm gently until the butter melts. Let the milk cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle the granulated yeast or crumble the cake yeast over the milk. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. When bubbles form, mix the bubbles into the milk.
Whisk the egg into the milk.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk/yeast and mix together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, sprinkling small amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking.
Round the dough up in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for about 2 hours, until doubled.
While the dough is rising, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside. Plump the raisins in a bowl of hot water for 10-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Just before the dough is ready to be rolled out, make the syrup by combining the butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat.
Punch the dough down and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before rolling it out on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle 7-8 inches (18 centimetres) wide and about 16 inches (40 centimetres) long.
Using a butter knife or your fingers, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, making sure to cover the edges.
Thickly and evenly, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough, spreading to the edges, followed by the raisins, if using.
Roll the dough from the wide side of the rectangle into a long cylinder. Using a serrated knife or a dough scraper, slice crosswise through the cylinder. Cut it in half, and continuing to cut each piece in half until there are 8, 12 or 16 pieces, depending on how big you want the buns.
If using a baking pan: Pour the syrup into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Plan for 5 rows in length, 3 in width and fit the extra roll in. If using, place the pecan halves in the syrup under each roll (two for each). The rolls will fill the space between them as they rise. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
If using a muffin tin: Distribute the syrup evenly between the muffin tins. Place two pecan halves, if using, inside each cup. Place the rolls on top of the syrup, cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake in the oven until nicely browned all over, about 25-35 minutes for the baking pan, 20 minutes for the muffin tin. If the rolls on the outside of the baking pan are browning too quickly, surround the pan with a foil collar to give the middle buns time to bake through. You may need extra time, depending on your oven.
Immediately upon removing the buns from the oven, carefully and quickly tip them away from you over onto a rimmed cookie sheet or the syrup will harden. Keep in mind that the sugar syrup is very hot. Tip them away from you to avoid being splashed by the syrup.
If using a muffin tin, tip the buns out right away. Leave them upside down for several minutes so the syrup soaks through.
Before icing, turn the buns over so the "good" side is up. If using the cream cheese icing, pour it over the warm buns. If using the sugar icing, cool the buns completely before drizzling it on the buns..
Cream Cheese Icing
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 cup or 60 ml.)
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
With a fork or with a hand beater, combine the ingredients. Pour over the warm buns.
Sugar Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 1/2 tablespoons milk
Stir the milk into the sugar, taking care not to add too much milk or the icing will be runny. Drizzle the icing in any pattern over the buns, allow to harden.
One bite of a warm cinnamon bun will bring back happy childhood memories of sweet indulgences. This recipe has a few steps, but they are done at different points in the process, so there's no worry about rushing.
Cinnamon buns should never be modest. Feel free to add more butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and pecans as desired to the filling or syrup. The recipes for cream cheese and sugar icings are found below the instructions. These buns freeze well. Pull them apart or wrap them individually for easy reach at a hungry moment.
Thanks to my friend and former colleague, Helen Ducharme for this recipe, which tastes just like my late grandmother's delicious cinnamon buns. Whole wheat cinnamon buns, very similar to the popular treat made by Winnipeg's Tall Grass Prairie Bakery, can be found here.
More bread recipes: Challah, No-Knead Artisan French Bread, No-Knead Artisan Rye or Whole Wheat, No-Knead Irish Brown Bread (with Stout), Crusty Baguettes, Soft Baguettes, New York Style Bagels, Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns, Foccaccia, Classic White Bread, Pillowy Buttermilk Buns, Flax and Honey Bread, Portuguese Cornmeal Bread, Olive Bread, One-Rise Buttermilk Bread, Chocolate Babka, Pumpernickel Bread, Italian Bread (Pani di Terni)
Time: 4 hours (including rising)
Makes: 8, 12 or 16 (according to your preference)
Ingredients for the Dough
2 tablespoons dry yeast (1 package) or 1/10 lb. cake yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
Ingredients for the Filling (add more if desired)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 -4 tablespoons very soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)
Ingredients for the Syrup (add more if desired)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
30 pecan halves (optional)
Method
Put the sugar and butter in the milk and warm gently until the butter melts. Let the milk cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle the granulated yeast or crumble the cake yeast over the milk. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. When bubbles form, mix the bubbles into the milk.
Whisk the egg into the milk.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk/yeast and mix together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, sprinkling small amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking.
Round the dough up in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for about 2 hours, until doubled.
While the dough is rising, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside. Plump the raisins in a bowl of hot water for 10-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Just before the dough is ready to be rolled out, make the syrup by combining the butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat.
Punch the dough down and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before rolling it out on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle 7-8 inches (18 centimetres) wide and about 16 inches (40 centimetres) long.
Using a butter knife or your fingers, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, making sure to cover the edges.
Thickly and evenly, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough, spreading to the edges, followed by the raisins, if using.
Roll the dough from the wide side of the rectangle into a long cylinder. Using a serrated knife or a dough scraper, slice crosswise through the cylinder. Cut it in half, and continuing to cut each piece in half until there are 8, 12 or 16 pieces, depending on how big you want the buns.
If using a baking pan: Pour the syrup into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Plan for 5 rows in length, 3 in width and fit the extra roll in. If using, place the pecan halves in the syrup under each roll (two for each). The rolls will fill the space between them as they rise. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
If using a muffin tin: Distribute the syrup evenly between the muffin tins. Place two pecan halves, if using, inside each cup. Place the rolls on top of the syrup, cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake in the oven until nicely browned all over, about 25-35 minutes for the baking pan, 20 minutes for the muffin tin. If the rolls on the outside of the baking pan are browning too quickly, surround the pan with a foil collar to give the middle buns time to bake through. You may need extra time, depending on your oven.
Immediately upon removing the buns from the oven, carefully and quickly tip them away from you over onto a rimmed cookie sheet or the syrup will harden. Keep in mind that the sugar syrup is very hot. Tip them away from you to avoid being splashed by the syrup.
If using a muffin tin, tip the buns out right away. Leave them upside down for several minutes so the syrup soaks through.
Before icing, turn the buns over so the "good" side is up. If using the cream cheese icing, pour it over the warm buns. If using the sugar icing, cool the buns completely before drizzling it on the buns..
Cream Cheese Icing
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 cup or 60 ml.)
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
With a fork or with a hand beater, combine the ingredients. Pour over the warm buns.
Sugar Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 1/2 tablespoons milk
Stir the milk into the sugar, taking care not to add too much milk or the icing will be runny. Drizzle the icing in any pattern over the buns, allow to harden.