Recipe of the week | Cinnamon

Recipe | Cinnamon Buns!

Another surprising crowd-pleaser, folks! 

"Surprising" because I will always admit to being a novice when baking pastries and buns!
​Yet this recipe (from the Hummingbird  Bakery's "Home Sweet Home" recipe book) was straightforward, fun and downright irresistible once baked! I had to wrap it in foil to keep my hands off it (they were a gift for a friend and her family! 

Can I just report that the entire family loved it? Even the fussy pre-teen who doesn't usually like Cinnamon. So much so, that their mum asked for the recipe and gave it a try within a day! 

Hence, I would be remiss not to share this veritable treasure!
Enjoy!

​(I must warn you to set an hour or 1.5 hours aside for this).

Ingredients
For the Dough
300ml Lukewarm Whole Milk (I used Almond Milk)
25g Caster Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Active Yeast
500g Strong White Bread flour plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon Salt
85g Unsalted Butter, cubed

For the Filling
80g Unsalted Butter, softened
80g Soft Dark Brown sugar (I used light brown)
1 .5 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 Large Egg, beaten

Equipment
One 25cm (10in) Diameter Round Cake Tin; or
Two 20cm (8in) Diameter Tins

Method:
1) In a jug, mix together the lukewarm milk, caster sugar and yeast. Stir well and set aside until it froths up - approximately 20 minutes. 
2) In a large bowl, sift taught the flour and salt. Add the cubes of butter and rub them in to form a crumb-like consistency - no large lumps of butter.
3) Make a well in the centre of this and pour in the milk and yeast. Using a spoon, mix them together to form a dough. 
4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead well until soft and smooth. Put the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for around 40 minutes or until it doubles in size. 
5) Once risen, knock the dough back in the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently to smooth out the dough and then roll out into a rough rectangle, about 1.5cm (2/3 in) thick. 
6) Gently spread the soft butter evenly onto the dough. In a small bowl, mix the dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon together before sprinkling evenly over the dough. 
7) Roll the dough up lengthways like a Swiss roll  and cut into 16-18 slices using a sharp knife.
8) Line the cake tin with baking parchment. Carefully place the slices, flattest side down, into the tin, arranging them snugly. Wrap the tin in clingfilm and allow the dough to rise again for 20 minutes. 
9) Pre-heat the oven to 180oC/ 160oC Fan/350oF, Gas Mark 4 (whilst dough rises). Gently brush the tops of the risen buns with the beaten egg. 
10) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack. 

There it is in 10 simple steps! I do hope you have as much fun with these tasty treats as I did. 

God bless and happy baking!

​*Lola*