Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand); if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, but add the water with the flour and yeast. Whip in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

   Step 2

   Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

   Step 3

   Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Proceed as shown below in the Shaping Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns sidebar.

   Step 4

   For cinnamon buns, line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren’t touching but are close to one another. For sticky buns, coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high with a 1/4-inch layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts and raisins. You do not need a lot of nuts and raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.

   Step 5

   Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

   Step 6

   Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.

   Step 7

   Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan and into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark and done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven.

   Step 8

   For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving. For sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove them by flipping them over onto another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

2. Shaping cinnamon buns and sticky buns

   Step 9

   Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don’t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump.

   Step 10

   Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll.

   Step 11

   With the seam side down (see page 143), cut the dough into 8 to 12 even pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns; or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.

3. BREAD PROFILE

   Step 12

   Enriched, standard dough; direct method; commercial yeast

4. DAYS TO MAKE: 1

   Step 13

   15 minutes mixing; 3 1/2 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 20 to 40 minutes baking

5. COMMENTARY

   Step 14

   This dough can be used for other applications besides cinnamon and sticky buns. For instance, you can make thumbprint sweet rolls, filled with jam or jelly. You can also make pastry logs. Roll out the dough as you would for cinnamon buns, but instead of cutting pinwheel slices and baking them face up, load the logs with nuts, raisins, and cinnamon sugar and bake them whole, like bâtards. Slice them after they’ve cooled so all the goodies inside come tumbling out onto your plate.

6. GRACE NOTES: (White Fondant Glaze for Cinnamon Buns)

   Step 15

   Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.

7. Step 16

   Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and between 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.

8. Step 17

   When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whiskover the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)

9. Caramel Glaze for Sticky Buns

   Step 18

   Caramel glaze is essentially some combination of sugar and fat, cooked until it caramelizes. The trick is catching it just when the sugar melts and lightly caramelizes to a golden amber. Then it will cool to a soft, creamy caramel. If you wait too long and the glaze turns dark brown, it will cool to a hard, crackyour-teeth consistency. Most sticky bun glazes contain other ingredients to influence flavor and texture, such as corn syrup to keep the sugar from crystallizing and flavor extracts or oils, such as vanilla or lemon. This version makes the best sticky bun glaze of any I’ve tried. It was developed by my wife, Susan, for Brother Juniper’s Café in Forestville, California.

10. Step 19

    In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature.

11. Step 20

    Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1 teaspoon lemon, orange, or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

12. Step 21

    Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/4-inch layer. Refrigerate and save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.

13. BAKER’S PERCENTAGE FORMULA

    Step 22

    Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns %

    Step 23

    Sugar: 20.3 %

    Step 24

    Salt: 1.6 %

    Step 25

    Shortening: 17.2 %

    Step 26

    Egg: 10.3 %

    Step 27

    Lemon extract: 1.1%

    Step 28

    Bread flour: 100 %

    Step 29

    Instant yeast: 1.4

    Step 30

    Milk (approx.) 59.4 %

14. Step 31

    Total: 211.3 %