ToDo/NewDo: Bake, bake, bake.. Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

Mimi Burke, Charlotte, North Carolina

mmmm Finished rolls.

Mimi is a craftsperson and a baker. Her creative endeavor during these times is to bake, and she shares her recipe with us. The additional challenge for this will be to find yeast, which seems to have become an item that is missing in action.

Cinnamon Buns

Level:Intermediate
Total:1 hr 19 min
Prep:45 min
Inactive: 4 min
Cook:30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Level: Intermediate

IngredientsDough:

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened at room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 5 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ounce fresh yeast (or 2 1/4-ounce packets dry yeast)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt

Honey Schmear:

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water

Bun Finish:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk.  

Directions
Dough:

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all the ingredients for the dough. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for another 6 minutes. To test if the dough is ready, stretch a small piece of dough between your hands into a thin sheet and hold it up to the light. If you see a web-like pattern, the dough is developed; the webs are the strands of gluten. If you do not see them, mix the dough at medium speed 2 minutes more, then test again. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or over night.

Honey Schmear:

In a mixer, mix the brown sugar, butter, honey, corn syrup and cinnamon until smooth. Add the water and mix until smooth, adding more water as needed to make the mixture spreadable.

Bun Finish:

Butter 10 cups of a large muffin tin. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the honey schmear into the bottom of each cup. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10-by-10-inch square about 1/4- inch thick. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Using your hands, firmly roll up the dough like a jellyroll. Transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife or a taut length of dental floss, cut the dough into 10 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Place one slice (on its cut side) in each muffin cup. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until they reach the rim of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Or, cover and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Let the buns cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then flip the pan over onto the sheet pan. Carefully lift off the muffin pan, leaving the buns and toppings on the sheet pan. Let cool. Meanwhile mix together the powdered sugar and milk to make a glaze. With a spoon drizzle the glaze over the top of the buns.

After doing this once here is what next time will look 
Begin early afternoon. Make dough and refrigerate 2+ hours.
Make the honey schmear and the Bun Finish. Follow through until you place the 1” thick slices in the muffin tin.

Then refrigerate overnight so you can bake in the morning and have hot fresh buns with your tea or coffee.
Do not bother with the icing in the very last step!
Make sure you place a cookie sheet or mat under the muffins. The overflow got all over the bottom of my oven.

After you take the finished muffins out there will be residual Honey Schmear left in each tin. I scooped more schmear on top of each muffins.

About Mimi

Mimi is a retired Physical Therapist in manual orthopedics who specialized in the spine. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her primary creative endeavor is Photography and she enjoys taking classes at the Penland School of Arts and Crafts. She is also practices yoga regularly.  She and her husband love to travel and hike and are very adept at tracking down farmer's markets wherever they go.  Of course, Mimi loves to bake and always has flour and yeast on hand.