Cinnamon Buns

allrecipes via Maya

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup warm milk (110 F)
• 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast, eg. Fleischmann’s RapidRise yeast (NOT Active Dry Yeast!)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 540 g (4.5 cups) bread flour

Filling

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2.5 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast: warm the milk to 110-115 F. You can use a probe thermometer to manage the temperature, or place a few drops of milk on your inner wrist. It should feel warm but not hot (like milk for a baby). Then, stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. A dense, think froth should form. Otherwise, your yeast was killed (probably the milk was too hot).
2. Cream together the sugar, salt, and butter, and then add eggs and beat until smooth.
3. Add the yeast mixture and flour, and beat until the dough comes together. Then, knead the dough at medium speed for about 10 minutes (or 15-20 minutes if doing by hand, or until it passes the windowpane test). The dough should be satiny smooth.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place (eg. on a stove with the oven on underneath) for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. In the meantime, beat together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter for the filling. Also, prepare the rolling surface and baking pan by greasing or spraying both with non-stick spray.
6. When the dough has risen: on a lightly greased surface, roll out the dough out into a cookie-sheet sized rectangle.
7. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
8. Starting from the long side, roll the rectangle into a spiral. You should have a cylinder that is as long as the long side of your rectangle.
9. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut the cylinder into 2-inch segments and place each segment with the spiral facing up on the baking pan. Make sure there is a little wiggle room for the buns to rise.
10. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until the buns have doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
11. Bake the cinnamon buns for about 15 minutes or until golden.
12. While the buns are baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla for the icing.
13. When the buns are done, spread the icing over the warm buns so it melts and drops over them.

#dessert