Delightfully Different Hand Made Cinnamon Buns

Submitted by JC Worthless

"This recipe is derived with much help from many Recipe Zar members submitted Recipe's studdied over the past weeks. Wanting a slightly different taste and a light fluffy bun/roll based on a yeast bread dough.....heres is what I came up with... and they aint half bad... makes about 8 or 9."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 12mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 8-10 buns
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup water (almost hot)
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 6 -8 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt)
• 1⁄4 ounce of fresh bakers yeast
• 1⁄8 cup of melted butter or 1/8 cup margarine
• ground cinnamon (I used roughly 1 tablespoon total)

directions

1. In a 10" mixing bowl place the 2 1/4 cups of sifted flour, 2 tablespoons of of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix / blend very well with a fork and set it to the side -- We will call this the dry mix.
2. In a seperate smaller "warm" bowl, add the warm / nearly hot water, <---(warm water and bowl are a key step to light and fluffy), 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar and the full contents of a 1/4 oz. packet of bakers / bread yeast.
3. Stir the mix till blended and leave it alone for 8 to 10 minutes -- We will call this the wet mix
4. The wet mix will grow a head of foam a beer can only dream of in that amount of time if you did it correctly --
5. After waiting for the yeast to activate (the forementioned 8 - 10 minutes) combine the two mixtures (wet mix and dry mix) and blend together by spoon or fork just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and stop -- The dough should look stringy and not be completely blended together --
6. Now dump the batter out onto your clean and lightly sifted with flour work area. Re-wash your hands and leave them moist, not wet, but moist, then rub your hands in flour, completely coating them lightly --
7. Now add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil at this time. Yes, just pour it on top of the dough. Now start folding it in until it is all the same consistency. This is when the most folding should be done -- Fold it until a nice completely mixed dough ball forms. Mash and fold -- mash and fold -- making bread -- mash and fold.
8. Take the 10" bowl you mixed the dough in and wash it in hot water -- dry the bowl and while the bowl is still warm, oil it well, using 1/2 the left over olive oil, leaving a little pool of oil in the bottom of the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl and roll it over and over till its WELL coated with the oil -- (This keeps the outer part of the dough from getting hard while it is rising) -- Cover the bowl, ( your not making bug bread you know), and let it set at least an hour or until it has risen to at least twice its original size -- I let mine go over night because it was cool and rainy and I started them at 2:30 in the morning .
9. After the dough has risen at least to twice its original size dump the dough out on a clean lightly floured work area, flour hands again and kneed and double fold the bread 4 times and stop -- Roll the dough back into a ball, Using the last half of the left over oil, re-oil the ball for the same reason as mentioned above. Cover and let the dough set until it doubles in size again.
10. After the second rising dump the dough onto your lightly floured working surface and lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll the dough into a 10"- 12" square. Do not fold the dough again -- Just roll it out.
11. Now pour the melted butter in the center of the dough and spread it evenly on the top side of the dough only. Now lightly sprinkle your cinnamon evenly until the top of the buttered area of the dough is covered lightly and evenly dark. On top of the cinnamon, evenly sprinkle a layer of brown sugar. ( I place the brown sugar in the palm of my hands and rub them together over the dough to get an even coating) -- Now roll the dough into a log.
12. Now take a serrated bread knife and CUT the dough in 1" wide pieces, DONT mash through it. Gently place the sections onto a pam coated or lightly greased (crisco) and lightly floured baking sheet about 3" apart and let rise until they look fat. It should not take anymore than 1 hour or so. If your rush the time frame at this point they will not be as light and fluffy -- so wait for them to rise again.
13. Preheat oven to 350* and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
14. A sticky glaze is easy --
15. Take a small pan that disperses heat well and add 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of water to the cold pan -- turn the pan on a med-high heat -- (I use the #7 setting on my stove knob) -- when the butter completely melts, start stirring and dont stop at any point -- slowly add 2 cups of confedtioners sugar. Keep stirring until the mixture comes to a rolling boil and let it full boil for 1 minute -- Dont stop stirring now -- keep it off the bottom and sides -- after 1 minute of a rolling boil pull the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture straight onto the buns .Yes while it is boiling hot --
16. Now let them cool a few minutes and enjoy --
17. To a cook, their bread is as important as the main course. The mixing of ingredients and when they are added to the mix contributes to the texture of the bread, each ingredient changing the texture ever so slightly, in the end it does all seem to matter. Bread is part of our early memories -- We can remember Mom or Granny fixing rolls or biscuits for breakfast or dinner. The taste of their bread is or was there own. Seemingly unobtainable by any other, even when using the same ingredients. Why -- Its when they added the ingredients and in what order. Was the pan preheated before they placed the dough on the pan or wasn't it? -- 1/2 cup of milk or was it 3/4 of a cup -- it all matters.
18. This dough has a great flavor and makes a nice sweet dinner roll. Yeah they take a while to make but if made properly the person you are making them for will be pleased. I do so hope you will try and enjoy them.