Soft Cinnamon Buns Recipe
What’s better than cinnamon buns? Homemade fresh out of the oven soft, less sugar cinnamon buns! Nothing tastes better than a warm, fresh pastry that is preservative free with clean ingredients. This cinnamon bun recipe has been a staple in our home and one of the best ways I show my family how much I love them.
I like to break down this cinnamon bun recipe in 3 steps. When I do that, it becomes much more simple to make. One tip I’s like to share is to plan ahead if you want to make this. I do not consider cinnamon buns hard to make, but it does require some time. Make sure to thaw your butter and have is soft at room temperature so it is ready for baking.
A second tip is to use a bread mixer. I love my boscht mixer so if you don’t already have a bread mixer, I highly recommend this one. If you already have a bread mixer, that should work wonderfully as well.
Last tip: Bread flour versus All Purpose Flour
I have used both all purpose flour and bread flour on different occassions and they both come out incredibly well. For this recipe, my first preference is bread flour. My go to bread flour is King Arthur’s Organic Bread Flour.
The Role of Flour in Your Recipes
One thing you will notice with dough recipes that include flour is that the amount of flour usually varies. That is because depending on what climate you are living in, you may need to use more or less flour. If you live in a dry climate, you might need to use less flour as opposed to living in a humid climate. That is one of the reasons why you have to pay attention to the texture of your dough when making it.
Practice Makes Perfect!
Once you do this a couple of times, you will get a good feel for the appropriate texture. The bright side is that dough is very forgiving, if it’s too dry add more liquid, if it’s too wet, add more flour. If you can remember this, you are ahead of the game!
To make the cinnamon bun icing.
You either love icing or not, and either preference is OKAY! If you don’t love icing, just skip that part and enjoy your cinnamon buns without it. If you love the icing recipe that comes with this recipe, just make sure to have your cream cheese at room temperature for best results.
That was a lot of information about dough, but I promise you it goes a long way with making any dough. So put your apron on and let’s make the most epic cinnamon buns you will ever eat!
| Prep Time: 40 minutes + 90 minutes for dough to rest | Bake Time: 20 minutes |
| Serves: approximately 20-23 rolls (varies) | Total Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| Ingredients For the Dough 1 tbsp active dry yeast 4 tbsp warm water (110F) 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (homemade buttermilk) 2 eggs (room temperature) 1/4 cup organic sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature) 1 tsp salt 4 cups organic unbleached bread flour or organic all purpose flour + more as needed (*see note 1) 1 tbsp of avocado oil for greasing bowl for the dough For the Cinnamon Filling 8 tbsp unsalted butter *softened at room temperature– *Save this for spreading on dough) 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or make your own with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 tbsp molasses) 5 tbsp ground cinnamon For the Cream Cheese Frosting 4 oz. package of block cream cheese *at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract (try my homemade recipe) 3/4 cup powdered sugar 3 tbsp of butter *softened *Note 1 You may need more bread flour depending on what kind of climate you live it. Start with 4 cups of bread flour and if dough is sticky, add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until the dough easily pulls away from the mixer bowl. Make sure you are using bread flour and not all purpose flour for this dough. *Note 2 If you are making your own brown sugar, you can use any type of molasses such as pomegranate, or black strap. |
| Instructions 1. Add the active dry yeast and warm water in a small bowl, stir and set aside for about 10-15 minutes until it gets bubbly/puffy. 2. Add the milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and stir and set aside for 15 minutes. (The milk will curdle and turn into buttermilk) 3. In a large stand mixer with a dough attachment add softened butter, eggs, the homemade buttermilk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and mix until well combined (about 1 minute) 4. Add the active dry yeast and water mixture and the flour one cup at a time until all 4 cups are added. Turn on mixer for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough pulls away easily from the bowl.*If dough is still very sticky after 6 minutes of mixing, add 1 tbsp more flour. 5. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with saran wrap and place in a warm, draft free place for 1 hour and 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon filling. Place the cinnamon and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix with a fork until well combined. Set aside. 7. Once your dough has rested, it should have doubled in size. Add about a tbsp of flour on a clean working surface and place the dough and roughly shape it into a rectangle with your hands. 8. Preheat oven to 350F. 9. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough roughly to be about 18 by 14 inches. It should be approximately 1/4 inch in thickness. Spread 4 tbsp of the softened butter evenly over the dough leaving 1/2 inch space on all sides. 10. Spread the cinnamon filling mixture evenly all over the rolled dough. Then, gently pick up the edges of the longer part of the dough and roll over about 1 inch in. Keep rolling the longer side a little at a time until you complete the roll and it resembles a log shape. 11. Using a bread cutter, knife (or the floss method) and cut the log into even sizes. Place them in a large baking sheet (you may need a 2nd small baking sheet). Leave some space between the rolls as they will expand a little when baking. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes. 12. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until cinnamon rolls have a light golden brown color. 13. Meanwhile using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extra until creamy. (*Optional, You can sift the powder for a smoother cream texture) 14. Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for about 10 minutes then spread the frosting all over the rolls, serve warm and enjoy! Storage: Store the cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. |
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