CINNAMON BUNS

Full recipe yields 24 buns.

Half recipe yields 12 buns.

The only way I can describe these buns is; "CIN-FULLY, delicious."

Cinnamon buns are easy and fun to make. I bake them in batches of 24 buns; using two 9x13x1-3/4 inch pans. It is a

lot of dough for the home cook to handle because the total mass weighs 4 pounds. Of course, you could cut the recipe in half and just make 12 buns. They are soooo good, I decided to make the double batches because they freeze very well. I shall give you the ingredients for making both 12 and 24 buns.

Oh! I almost forgot; one of the major side benefits of cinbuns; they make the house smell just great.

No special equipment is required. However, you will need this style of pan and a cooling rack.

INGREDIENTS

Dough for 24 buns

  • 25 1/2 ounces Bread flour.
  • 6 1/2 ounces Cake flour; not self-rising.
  • 6 1/2 ounces White granulated sugar.
  • 6 1/2 ounces Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 tbs. pieces.
  • 2 Tsp. Salt.
  • 1 Tsp. Ground cinnamon.
  • 1 Ounce (3 Tbs.) granular yeast.
  • 1.6 Ounce non-fat dry milk.
  • 4.8 Ounces (3 Large) eggs, lightly
    beaten.
  • 12.8 Ounces water, 120-130°F.

Ingredients for pan mixture

  • 3 Tbs. Unsalted butter, melted.
  • 3/4 Cup light brown sugar, packed and slightly heaping.
  • 1/2 Cup Light corn syrup.
  • 1 1/2 Cups Pecan pieces, toasted.

Assembly Ingredients

  • 4 Ounces Unsalted butter, melted and reserved.
  • 3/4 Cup Light brown sugar, packed.
  • Ground cinnamon to taste.

Dough for 12 buns

  • 12 3/4 Ounces bread flour.
  • 3 1/4 Ounces Cake flour, not self-rising.
  • 3 1/4 Ounces White granulated sugar.
  • 3 1/4 Ounces Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 tbs. pieces.
  • 1 Tsp. Salt.
  • 1/2 Tsp. Ground cinnamon.
  • 1/2 Ounce (1 1/2 Tbs.) granular yeast.
  • .8 Ounce non-fat dry milk.
  • 2.4 Ounces (1 1/2 large) eggs, lightly
    beaten.
  • 6.4 Ounces water, 120-130°F.

Ingredients for pan mixture

  • 1 1/2 Tbs. Unsalted butter, melted.
  • 3/8 Cup Light brown sugar, packed and slightly heaping.
  • 1/4 Cup Light corn syrup.
  • 3/4 Cup Pecan pieces, toasted.

Assembly Ingredients

  • 2 Ounces Unsalted butter, melted and reserved.
  • 3/8 Cup light brown sugar, packed.
  • Ground cinnamon to taste.

PREPARATION

  1. You may use any type of equipment for preparing and kneading the dough. Hands, food processor or stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. If you use a food processor, you must use the plastic dough blade. This is a very soft dough and will stall the motor if you use the metal blade.


  2. Place all of the dry ingredients in the work bowl of your machine; including yeast, if you know it to be active. Whiz around a bit to combine all of the ingredients.


  3. Place the butter pieces into the work bowl and whiz a bit to combine the flour mixture and butter. Do not over process. You should stop combining when you see pea-sized lumps of flour and butter appear.


  4. Add eggs and water. Combine well and knead for 1 minute with a food processor and 6 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough will be so soft it will not form a ball.


  5. Lightly flour your work surface and turn-out your "gloppy looking" dough. Sprinkle a bit of flour over it and then form into a ball. Two dough scrapers work the best for this project.


    • Place dough into a lightly greased bowl or pot, large enough for the dough to at least double. Cover with a damp tea-towel.


      • Dough should double in about 45 to 60 minutes. Punch down and let rise (double) again.


  6. While dough is rising, prepare your baking pan(s) and pan mixture. Lightly butter the interior of the pan(s).


    • Combine all of the pan mixture ingredients in a medium-sized pot, over medium low heat. Stir to melt and combine. When hot and liquidy pour evenly over bottom of pan(s).


      • Sprinkle pecan pieces evenly over the pan mixture. Reserve.


  7. Now for the fun part! After the dough has risen for the second time; gently deflate it and cut it into two pieces, if you made the full 24 bun recipe; you should have two 2 pound pieces. Place one piece back in the rising pan to rest while you prepare the first piece.


  8. Gently pull or roll the dough into a 10" by 21" rectangle. Keep it as squared-off and even as possible.


    • Paint the dough surface with the melted butter and sprinkle the light brown sugar evenly over the butter layer.


      • Generously sprinkle ground cinnamon over all.


  9. Now we roll it up. Jelly-roll fashion. Starting along the 21" side, roll towards you, keeping the roll as tight as possible.


    • Roll the "rolled roll," back and forth under your open palms to firm-up and elongate to 23 inches. The finished roll should be firm and smooth.


    • Using a large sharp knife or pastry scraper, cut the roll into 12 equal 1-7/8 inch pieces.


      • Place each piece, cut sides up and down, into prepared pan(s). Evenly spaced rows-4 down the length and 3 across the width. See picture of partially risen buns.



  10. Lightly cover pan(s) with a tea-towel or plastic. Buns should double in size and fill pan(s) in about 45 to 60 minutes.


  11. About 20 minutes before buns have completely risen, adjust oven rack to center position and pre-heat oven to 375°F.


  12. When buns have doubled and oven is hot, place pan(s) in oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until done.


  13. When done, using oven mitts or pot holders remove pan(s) from oven and immediately, with great care, invert pan(s) onto cooling racks. Be very carefull, melted sugar can give you a nasty burn.


    • You Must invert onto cooling racks immediately out of the oven. If you do not, the sugar in the bottom of the pan will begin to harden and you won't be able to remove the buns from the pan.


  14. Permit buns to cool to almost room temperature before eating.


  15. When the buns have cooled to room temperature you can Glaze the plain side, if you so desire. I normally don't bother.