Recipes
Cinna-Buns
Love those ooey-gooey cinnamon buns you find at the shopping mall? These sweet, tender (some would say squishy) cinnamon buns, crowned with a thick dollop of rich cream cheese icing, make a trip to the mall (or airport) unnecessary.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) milk, lukewarm
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 5 tablespoons (74g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups (539g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons (11g) table salt
- 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast, or one 1/4-ounce packet of Platinum Yeast from Red Star
- 5 tablespoons (74g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons (21g) cinnamon
- 3 ounces (85g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (170g) confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix together and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, soft dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- To fill and shape the buns: Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Roll the dough into a 16" x 21" rectangle.
- Spread the dough with the 1/3 cup butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it evenly over the dough.
- Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log and cut it into 12 slices.
- Place the buns in a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. Cover the pan and let the buns rise until they're nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Uncover the buns, and bake them until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.
- To make the icing: In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla.
- Remove the buns from the oven. Spread the icing on the buns while they're warm.
- Serve buns warm, or at room temperature. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for a day or so; freeze for longer storage.