Almost Famous Cinnamon Buns Recipe

If there’s one smell most associated with the Yuletide season, it’s cinnamon. A study published on Appetite revealed that the smell of cinnamon, along with orange and cloves, are some of the scents most associated with Christmas.

Cinnamon’s distinctive smell has become linked with the holiday season so much so that OMG Facts mentioned how some retailers are now sneaking it into their stores to entice buyers to purchase their products.

However, it’s more than just a smell that triggers nostalgia. A post about cinnamon on Foxy Bingo enumerated the benefits of the spice, which is extracted from the bark of trees belonging to the cinnamomum genus. Cinnamon’s positive effects include promoting heart health and protecting the brain from a variety of ailments, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Here’s a cinnamon bun recipe from the Food Network so you can enjoy the flavour and benefits of the spice, as well as channel the holiday season.

Dough

– 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
– ¼ cup and ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
– 1 cup whole milk
– 1 large egg yolk
– 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted (add more to coat the bowl))
– 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
– ¾ teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Filling

– ½ cup granulated sugar
– 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
– 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
– All-purpose flour for dusting

Glaze

– 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
– 1/3 heavy cream

Instructions

Pour the milk in a medium-sized saucepan and then warm it using low heat.
Once it gets warm, add the yeast and the ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, but don’t stir the mixture. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until it gets foamy.
Add the melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, the salt, the nutmeg, and the remaining granulated sugar and whisk. Make a well at the centre.
Pour the yeast mixture in the well. Use a dough hook to mix on low speed. Once it becomes thick and sticky, knead the dough on medium speed until it gathers around the hook. If needed, you can add a maximum of two tablespoons of flour to the dough.
Form the dough into a ball.
Add butter to the mixing bowl and then place the dough back in it, making sure that it is coated with butter.
Cover the bowl using plastic wrap and let it sit for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
Coat a 12-by-14-inch rectangle lightly with flour. Roll the dough into it, with the longer side facing you.
10. Spread the softened butter on the dough, making sure that there is a ½ inch border remaining on the furthest edge. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle it over the butter.
11. Brush the border without butter with water. Roll the dough, going in the direction away from you. Make sure to make the roll as tight as possible. Roll it to the unbuttered edge to seal.
12. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 buns of equal size.
13. Coat the surface of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter. Place the buns cut-side down, making sure that there is space in between each one. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 40 minutes, or until the size doubles.
14. Preheat the oven to 163 degrees Celsius.
15. Remove the wrap and put it in the oven. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown.
16. Let the buns cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the confectioners’ sugar for the glaze into a bowl.
17. Add the cream and the melted butter to the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk.
18. Transfer the buns into a rack. Spread the glaze on top while it is still warm.

Find more Cinnamon Buns Recipe options in this Cinnamon themed cookbooks:

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Almost Famous Cinnamon Buns Recipe