I love cinnamon buns and I want to make some myself. Preferrably easy. I saw a recipe once that looks great, but it was very vague:
“Get frozen bread dough…roll it out…top it with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon…roll it up…slice and bake it.”
Sounds easy, but I have no idea how much to use of each ingredient, or what temp to bake it at. I checked all sorts of recipe websites and can’t find anything that seems to fit this same criteria.
Anyone have any ideas, recipes, etc?
Roll it out means just that. Let it defrost so that you can use a rolling pin and roll it out into a flat rectangle. I’ve never measured when doing it, but I’d guess about a half inch thickness or less.
About 1/4 stick butter melted should be plenty, but this varies according to how you and your family like it, maybe a bit more or less. Spread the melted butter over the rolled out rectangle. Use butter or stick margarine, not tub butter a subsitute. Leave about an inch on one of the long sides of the rectangle without butter.
Make cinnamon sugar with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp sugar, mix them well and then sprinkle over the buttered area. Again the amount is going to depend on how you like it. More if you like it very sweet and less if not.
Start on a long edge of your rectangle and roll it up like you would roll up a towel. Leave the “seam” to the bottom.
Take a length of fresh unflavored dental floss and “cut” the bun into swirls by sliding the floss under the dough logand wrapping it around the top and then tightening until pulling through. Do this at inch or less lengths and lay them out at least two inches apart on a baking sheet. Let them rise until they almost double before baking.
Here is the recipe I use, it will make at least twice as much as a frozen loaf.
3 packages yeast
1/2 c warm water (Warm, not hot. If you get it too hot the yeast won’t do it’s thing.)
1 TBSP sugar
2 c boiling water
1 cup shortening
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
7-8 c flour
butter
cinnamon-sugar mix
Optional: pecans or raisins
In a small bowl pour the dry yeast, add warm water and then sprinkle the sugar on top and give one gentle stir. Let it sit while you boil the water.
Put shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl, pour boiling water over them and stir until shortening melts. Add 4 cups of the flour and the eggs and stir. Add the eggs so they are settled in a valley in the flour, because if you let them fall in the the hot, hot water they will cook. After stirring add the yeast mixture and remaining 3 or 4 cups of flour, mixing just until moist. Do not use a beater or over mix.
Cover with a warm damp towel and let rise for two hours.
Roll out dough onto a floured counter top into a large rectangle as mentioned above. Pour 1/4 c melted butter onto the dough and spread it out even. I just do this with my clean hands.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture (3/4 c sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon) evenly over the dough. Roll up and slice as I mentioned above. (You would add raisins or pecans before rolling if you want them.)
Set them on baking pans two inches apart, let them rise again until they double in size.
Topping:
Rub together 1/2 c flour, 2 TBSP Sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 TBSP butter. This should be crumbly, not a smooth mixture. Sprinkle over rolls and bak at 350 for 12-18 minutes, until lightly browned.
Frosting:
1 c poweded sugar, 1 TBSP milk, 1 tsp vanilla, blend all three until smooth, drizzle on the top of the rolls after removing from the oven.