Cinnamon Buns And Sticky Buns

glazed cinnamon bun

sticky buns with chopped macadamia nuts

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge 8th recipe is for Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns. After reading the recipe for the caramel glaze, I couldn't resist making the sticky buns. I halved the rolled dough and the slices from one half dough went into a 9-inch round cake pan, the bottom layered with ¼ inch of the caramel paste and a few tablespoons of chopped macadamia nuts (I ran out of pecans). I love this gooey caramel glaze, it is very good.

sticky gooey goodness

The other half of the dough was mistakenly divided into 8 portions and placed on the baking pan too far apart. I wanted thick cinnamon buns but it was already cut and they came out a little bit thin. Oh well, I can always bake another batch and make them into gigantic cinnamon buns. And the good thing is they become crispy when toasted and sinfully indulgent if paired with David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Caramel ice cream...it's like eating an open-face ice cream sandwich, sooo addicting.

toasted cinnamon bun, not just for breakfast anymore...
try it with Salted Butter Caramel Ice cream for a super duper delicious dessert or snack

The recipe does not have a layer of soft butter on the flattened dough before sprinkling the cinnamon sugar mixture. Most recipes I know have at least 2 tablespoons of soft butter for a moist cinnamon bun. But I want to follow the recipe as written so I used just cinnamon sugar and I expected the cinnamon buns to be a bit dry. Thankfully they are not and the bread itself is moist, soft, and delicious. I still prefer them with butter cinnamon sugar combo and I drizzle the insides of the coil with a little melted butter before glazing and eating. I just have to have my butter.:-)

I leave them bare and glaze them just before serving

Rating:
flavor 4
texture 5
visual appeal 5
ease of preparation 4
performance 5
worth 4
Total: 27
Average: 4.5

Happiness Is A Warm Bun

freshly grated cinnamon taste, and oh so fragrant

a real honey of a bun, so caramelly, buttery and utterly delicious

I borrowed the title for this post from my cookbook SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE KITCHEN WINDOW: Recipes Inspired By The Beatles And Their Music, which is of course from John Lennon's Happiness is a Warm Gun. People my age would know that. I KNOW, it's corny and lame but I don't care, I need a title for this post! ;-)

I made one batch of sweet roll dough, one half for cinnamon rolls and the other half for honey buns, sweet, sweet yummmy buns. I used this cinnamon mill which is really fragrant and the taste is excellent. It's sooo good.

Sweet Roll Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup very hot water
½ cup very hot milk
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup soft butter
3½ to 4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

• In a bowl combine water and milk, heat in the microwave oven for 1 minute, add 2 cups flour, sugar and egg. Beat for 1 minute, then add yeast. Beat for 1 minute. Add the salt and the rest of the flour and beat for 2 minutes. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Form into a ball and put in a greased bowl, turn dough so that greased side is on top. Cover tightly with cling wrap and let rise for 1½ hours. Punch dough down, divide in half. Return the other half in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap while shaping the first half.
  

Cinnamon Rolls
filling
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons soft butter
glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Combine sugar and ground cinnamon, set aside. Roll dough into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle, spread the soft butter, sprinkle with the sugar mixture. From the longer side, roll tightly, pinching edges. Slice into 8 pieces, arrange in a buttered 9-inch round pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Glaze: Combine ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over baked cinnamon rolls.
  Freshly grated cinnamon taste, and oh so fragrant

Honey Buns
glaze
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablspoons honey.
filling
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
2 tablespoons honey

• Combine ingredients for glaze. Divide among 6 extra large muffin pans, set aside. Combine the filling ingredients, set aside. Divide dough into 6 pieces, flatten into a 6 x 3 inch rectangle, spread filling in the middle, roll up tightly, pinching edges, then form into a circle. Place circles on top of honey mixture. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Invert pan onto a container, leave for 1 minute. Remove pan, scraping all the caramel onto the honey buns.

♫ Happiness is a warm, yes it is, bu-u-un! ♫