Cinnamon rolls are one of those amazing pastries, that bring all the warm fuzzies to all. A breakfast or snack delight, that really never changes. The classic cinnamon roll. We all have our favorites, from where we get them from, to who in your family makes them from scratch. There are many variations out there and they don’t even include cinnamon, from lemon, to fruit preserves or even chocolate. Nothing though compares to the cinnamon roll.
I have taken your basic cinnamon roll and upped it. I filled it with warm spices. Not just the cinnamon, but added nutmeg, clove and cardamom into the butter sugar filling. even added a dash of cinnamon into the dough. I didn’t make your typical cream cheese glaze to go on top. That would be too traditional for me. All though it is really good, I instead topped it with my butter cream cream cheese icing, that so many I know love. I added the same spices I added to the rolls, and put them in the icing. Then topped with orange zest to finish off.
Cinnamon buns, are a long process and are well worth it in the end. I hope you enjoy this rendition.
First things first I made the dough and allowed to rise for 1.5hrs until it doubled in size.
Once you have doubled in size, your going to gently punch your dough, flour a work surface and roll your dough out, into a large rectangle shape.
Once you have rolled dough out, you can spread your butter filling all over your dough, straight to the edge. I added cornstarch to the filling to help the filling become a little thicker.
Roll your dough up into a log form. Take a string to cut the dough smoothly. Works much better then a knife.
Line a baking pan or baking dish with parchment paper and place your cut bun down. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again, for another hour.
Turn the oven on to 350F, so in an hours time you can just place in the oven. Bake for 17-20 mins. Don’t over bake. If you over bake, they won’t be fluffy and soft any longer.
When buns are baking, this a great time to make your icing. Allow to cool for about 5-10 mins placing icing on top.
Once iced, sprinkle extra orange zest on top of the icing.
Time – 3.5hrs start to finish
Makes 8-10 buns
Ingredients
Cinnamon Bun
• 2 3/4 cups Bread Flour
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Warmed Milk
• 1 Packet of Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Egg plus 1 Egg yolk
• 4 Tbsp Melted unsalted butter
Filling
• 1/2 Cup unsalted butter or 1 stick softened
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground clove
• 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
Icing
• 8oz of Cream Cheese softened
• 6 Tbsp of Unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup of Confection sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• Zest of an orange divided in half.
Directions
1) In a standardized mixer with a bread hook attachment, add your flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix at medium speed for about 1 minute, to combine the dry ingredients.
2) In a small sauce pot warm up your milk. Once warm, pour into a separate bowl, add your 1 whole egg plus yolk from another egg, your melted butter and your active dry yeast package. With a fork, mix it all up. Make sure yeast doesn’t clump together. Pour into flour, and turn to medium high speed. Mix until dough all comes together in a blob. It will be a little sticky, and that is ok and perfect. Knead with your hands gently, rounding it out into a ball. Place in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in warm place and allow to rise for 1.5hrs. You want the dough to double in size.
3) Mean while take out your butter to softened for the filling and the butter and cream cheese for the icing. That can come to room temperature, while the dough is rising. About 5-10 mins before dough has finished rising the first time, mix all your filling ingredients until all smooth and well combined.
4) Once your dough has risen, take off the plastic wrap and punch the dough gently in the center. Flour a surface and with a rolling pin, roll out into a large rectangle. Spread the butter filling evenly all over the rolled out surface of the dough, all the way to the edges. Now you can start to roll gently and somewhat tightly the dough towards you. Take a string and place 2 inches into the roll, and cut the dough. Continue to repeat. You should have 8-10 buns now.
5) In a baking dish or pan, line with parchment paper. Place your buns in dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise again for another hour. Preheat oven to 350F
6) Now that you have allowed your buns to rise again, place in the oven and bake for 17-20mins.
7) Take buns out of the oven and allow to cook for about 5-10 mins, before spreading the icing on top. Don’t worry, the buns will still be warm.
8) To make the icing. With the whisk attachment on the standardized mixer, add your butter and cream cheese. Whip on high speed for 5 mins until it’s nice and fluffy. Now add the rest of the ingredients, with half the orange zest. Whip again on medium speed. Don’t forget to scrape down the side.
9) Spread your icing on top of the buns and sprinkle the other half of the orange zest on top of the icing. ENJOY! Aa
