Works For Me

Well, I'm back after a few days at work.  It's always a challenge to get back into "home mode"; every bit as much of a challenge as it is to get back to work after a few days off.

I want to take time to thank the "Lucerne" company, by the way.  They must have read my last blog, the one where I suggested that buttermilk should be sold in smaller containers than one litre.  Lo and behold, when I went to Safeway yesterday, I was able to purchase a 500 ml container of buttermilk.  Funny how Lucerne could read my entry from last week, and react so promptly.  Great marketing on their part; I'm sure they'll be delighted with the free advertising that I'm giving them here in this space.  ;)

I want to share my Cinnamon Bun recipe with you.  The reason why I want to share it with you is largely selfish - my handwritten copy in my "little black book" is barely legible!  I have used and used and used that recipe and the page is WELL stained with oil and flour and sugar.

I have been using my recipe for several years.  Last fall, I started to experiment with Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bun recipe found here.  They turned out well, in fact, the preparation method in her recipe is really simple, especially for beginner cinnamon bun bakers.  But, I keep going back to my own recipe.  And that is because my recipe works for me.

There's a story behind that.

When Dean and I were first married, we had the pleasure of being friends with a special lady named Eileen.  Dean worked with her, actually, and she spoiled him now and then by bringing fresh cinnamon buns to work to share.  Now, I've always loved cinnamon buns; they are pretty much at the top of my list of comfort foods for me and Dean really loved them, too.  So, being the devoted wife that I am, I set out to replicate Eileen's cinnamon buns.  What greater gift could I give to my new husband than cinnamon buns "just" like Eileen's?

So, I tried baking some from "who-knows-where-I-got-the-recipe-from".  Results - not that good. 

Next step - get Eileen's recipe.  Did that, made them.  Results - "they don't taste quite like Eileen's", he said.

Hmm, next step - borrow Eileen's bread mixer.  Did that, made them.  Results - "nope, still not like Eileen's."  Compare oven temperatures?  Same temperatures, no difference.

What to do, what to do?  Eileen told me to bake them in tin foil pans.  Ahh.  That must be the ticket!  Did that.  Results - "um.....no....still not like Eileen's."

All of this experimenting was resulting in a very discouraged cinnamon bun baker.  This process of trying to bake like her was getting me nowhere fast.

Then one day I decided that my cinnamon buns did NOT have to taste "just like Eileen's" to be tasty.  So, I gathered my courage and started to make them anyway, not being so concerned with replicating her results, but more concerned with getting into the routine of working with yeast dough.  I started making buns on a regular basis.  I made bread.  I made focaccia, Stromboli.  And cinnamon buns.

And here I am, many years later, and, you know what?  I make REALLY GOOD cinnamon buns!  My buns have changed from dry blobs of gooey dough into pillowy puffs of cinnamon-sugary goodness.  Not to brag or anything, but......my, they're good!

I would never post this recipe as the "world's best cinnamon bun" recipe, though, for the above reason.  I think that with all yeast dough recipes, it really does take a lot of practice to get it right, and the recipe probably doesn't have that much to do with it.  It becomes more of an art to recognize when you've added enough flour, or when you've kneaded long enough, or to find out what kind of baking pans you get the best results out of, or what temperature your oven cooks them best at.  So many variables.

So, for my own sake, here is my recipe for cinnamon buns.  The rest of you - GO FIND YOUR OWN CINNAMON BUN RECIPE!!!!

Nah, you can use mine!  Or Pioneer Woman's  Or use your own recipe, but do what another friend does and let them rise in cream, mmmmmm!  So many tricks to make these things good!  Experiment and please, by all means, share your successes with me!

Basic Sweet Dough/Cinnamon Buns (I mix mine in a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer)

2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp yeast
Mix together to dissolve and let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes.

Scald:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
I scald mine in the microwave for about 1:30 min.  Stir to dissolve.

In the bowl of the mixer, add:
3/4 cup cold water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Yeast mixture
Milk mixture
Stir to combine.

Add in 2 cups of flour and mix with the dough hook to make a paste.
Add in 2 more cups of flour and continue to mix with the hook.
Add in 2 more cups of flour and continue to mix.  The dough is starting to come together and should start to pull away from the walls of the mixing bowl.

Add flour in 1/4 cup increments at this point, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, but remains sticky to the touch.  The mixer should not have to work terribly hard.  Once you've reached that point, let it knead (on #2 setting) for 5 minutes.  If, at any point, the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add more flour in small portions.

Once it has finished kneading for 5 minutes, place it in a well greased bowl, cover it and let it rise for one hour.  I let mine rise in my oven with the door shut and the light ON.

After it has risen, divide into 2 portions.  Roll out into a rectangle and slather with soft butter/margarine, then layer generous amounts of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cut into 12 pieces using a serrated knife (using a sawing motion, don't slice downwards) and place in a well greased 9 x 13 tin foil* pan.  Repeat with the other portion of dough.  Cover and return to the cold oven with the light on and let rise for another hour. 

Remove from the oven.  Preheat your oven to 350 F and then bake for 15-20 minutes.

*I really do find that cinnamon buns bake very nicely in tin foil pans.  I always keep them on hand for this purpose.  Yes, they wear out and need to be replaced, but you seem to get softer cinnamon buns in tin foil pans.  I have experimented with other types of pans, and the tin foil gives the best results, IF you like soft buns. 

I encourage you to find out what your cinnamon bun preferences are.  A friend of mine loves her buns barely baked through, preferring them to be quite doughy.  Other friends like theirs well browned (I lean towards that myself).  Others like to ice them with cream cheese icing.  Others like raisins or pecans in the filling.  Others like them dripping with sticky filling.  Considering all of those individual preferences, how can anyone say that they have the "best cinnamon bun" recipe?  Find a good recipe for yourself and get baking!  I know that I've found the recipe that works for me.

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