Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon Buns Baked

Cinnamon Buns.f

I have a sweet tooth and so like to have a sweet snack to have as morning tea. For my Cinnamon Apple Buns I have adapted the Peter Reinhart recipe ‘Cinnamon Buns’ from his book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Rather than using cinnamon sugar to spread onto the rolled-out dough, I use stewed apples with cinnamon and honey, mashed down into a spreadable paste. This recipe can be made as a one-day bake, however, you can leave the prepared buns in the fridge for up to three days if you wish.

Preparation work.

Cinnamon Buns ‘initial ingredients’

The mix starts off rather like a cake, with butter, honey, and eggs beaten together. I like to add a teaspoon of cinnamon at this point to add a sweet flavour to the final dough.

Cinnamon Buns Dough Proofed

Once the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the mix I change from using my handheld mixer to kneading the dough with my hand. It is quite sticky at first, but it will come together to form a smooth ball. It is then left to rise until it has doubled in size.

Cinnamon Buns Apple Cinnamon mix

Preparing the Apple Cinnamon Filling.

While the dough is proofing I prepare my apple mix. I stew about 8 apples with honey and cinnamon until it has reduced down to a thick paste-like consistency with as few lumps as possible.

Add the Filling and Prepare the Buns.

Cinnamon Buns Dough

Once the dough has finished its rise it is time to roll it out on a floured surface. When spreading the apple paste on the dough make sure to leave a gap against one edge so that the dough will stick to itself on the final roll.

Cinnamon Buns Fill and Roll

As you roll the dough into a log shape make sure to press out any air bubbles and to make as tight a roll as possible. I use a metal scraper to cut my log into slices and I use a ruler to make sure my slices are consistent. I like to cut them at about 2-2.5 inches.

Pre Bake Proof.

Cinnamon Buns proofing

The buns are left to rise again for about 75 minutes. I use a deep baking tin to prevent the buns from creeping over the sides of the tray as they rise. The buns are then cooked in the BBQ for 20 minutes at 350’F. I like to allow my buns to colour on the top, but you can prevent this by putting a sheet of baking paper over the top of the tray after the first 10 minutes if you prefer a pale finish.

Cinnamon Buns Baked

The Bake.

These buns are great to wrap individually and freeze so that you have a sweet snack on hand. Once they have come to room temperature they can be eaten as they are or reheated in the oven for a warm treat. You can vary the recipe by foregoing the apple mix and instead adding your choice of dried fruit to the dough during the kneading stage.

Article submitted by guest writer Emily Reaver.

If you want to recreate these Cinnamon Buns and many more superb bread recipes I can highly recommend the following book.

Peter Reinhart’s Bread Bakers Apprentice