Sticky Cinnamon Buns

 

Being a baker, working in a bakery, is a “profession,” “occupation,” “full-time job.” There is a reason for this. It needs full time! Baking is so satisfying but for special baked goods like these, you really need a whole afternoon.

It’s worth it though - as many people before me have claimed, it’s a labour of love for these bad boys.
I believe I originally found this recipe on this website.
I have changed it slightly, converting the ingredients to English measurements, changing the method to a more simple version and also, I don’t use the cream cheese for the frosting because it’s a) expensive and b) hard to get hold of locally for me.

 

I’m going to re-write the recipe here as I do it:

 

Dough Ingredients

120ml warm water

2 tsp yeast

180ml warm soya milk

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp soya margarine

1 tsp salt

220g plain flour

170g plain flour

 

Filling Ingredients

75g soya spread

100g brown sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

 

Topping Ingredients

icing sugar

water

 

Put the warm water and yeast into one mixing bowl. In a second mixing bowl put the soya milk, sugar, soya margarine and salt. Mix the 220g plain flour into this bowl. Then add the contents of the first bowl into the second bowl, mix thoroughly before adding the other 170g plain flour.

 

Take the dough out of the bowl and plonk it onto a clean, floured work surface. Knead the dough for a good 10 minutes before rounding it up again and popping it back in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover it with a plate/tea towel and leave for 90 minutes to rise.

 

After this rising time is up, your dough should have doubled in size (if your yeast is working!) Punch the dough out on a floured work surface then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle approximately 15”x9” (so the longer side lies horizontally rather than vertically on the work surface.)

 

In a saucepan, gently melt the soya margarine and then pour it out onto the dough rectangle, spreading it evenly with a blunt knife edge. Sprinkle the brown sugar and the cinnamon evenly over the top.

 

Starting with the longer length of the rectangle (the 15” side) in front of you will make this bit easier - roll the dough up tightly into a sausage shape so that you are left with something resembling an Arctic/Swiss roll.

 

Take a sharp knife and cut the roll up into approximately 1” thick rounds. Grease a large dish that has sides to support the edges of the rolls. Place the cinnamon slices side by side in the dish and leave for another 40 minutes. They will rise further and fill the slight gaps between the rounds. Already at this stage, it will start to look like something from a professional bakery :)

 

Bake the buns at 175⁰C for about 20 minutes until golden all over.

 

Wait until the buns have cooled off a bit before cutting them out of the pan. They should easily tear apart at the natural seams, just like buns in a bakery.

 

 

See that bakery edge right there?! When they are cool you can quickly whip up a bit of icing with some icing sugar and water and drizzle it over the top of the buns. I didn’t know cinnamon buns usually had a cream cheese frosting - do they?! - but having the icing on the top is reminiscent of having an iced bun as a child. But now it’s all grown up - cinnamon flavoured.

These are seriously yummy, so make the time and make the effort and just MAKE!