Alright...seeing as I ate one (okay...two!!) of the last few of these this afternoon...sipping a fresh Americano...sitting in the sun...reading while the boys nap...I figured I better post them!
Sorry for the horrible photos...kinda a messy recipe...equals messy hands...makes taking photos tough! I need a baking partner!
Having mennonite roots we grew up on cinnamon buns...yum yum yum...lucky us! My mom and aunts all have the greatest stand-by recipe that is a favourite to many...this isn't that recipe:) I thought I'd venture out and try something different...and was happy with the results! I will definitely bake these again...although there's nothing better than coming home to my mom's homemade baking:) A friend had given me a bag of oat flour...so I was interested in experimenting with it...hence the cinnamon buns! I will definitely continue to bake these with the oat flour in them...it gave them a very light consistency...didn't leave you feeling heavy and blah...infact it made you want to eat more!! My mom's recipe has oats in it...so this taste is a familiar one to me in cinnamon buns. They were great to have on hand for Easter...and are awesome because this one batch made 7 round pans...they freeze great!
Of course there is nothing better than a little cream cheese frosting on top...that is how I served them on the weekend...but we were raised with a little peanut butter on top...that's my favourite:) Want to go on a little adventure...spread some peanut butter on the dough before rolling it up...with the cinnamon...AMAZING! Even made them once with Nutella in them...wow wow wow!!
Alright...here's the step by step. They take a little time...but are so worth it!!
Cinnamon BunsStart by making the dough. Mix 4 cups of milk (I used almond), 1 cup of olive oil and 1 cup of cane sugar in a large pot. Heat this mixture until JUST before it reaches boiling point (that's called 'scalding'). Turn off heat and leave to cool for about an hour.
When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in 2 packages Active Dry Yeast.
Let this mixture sit for a minute or two...you'll see the yeast starting to get fizzy and bubbly.
Then add 8 cups of flour of choice. I used 3 cups oat flour, 3 cups spelt and 2 cups whole wheat. Oat flour on it's own wouldn't hold the dough together well...so that's why I added spelt. Spelt also doesn't have as much gluten as other flours, which is what works as a 'glue' for the dough...so that's why I added in the bit of whole wheat.
Stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for at least an hour. I use a tea towel...that's the mennonite way:)
After an hour, the dough will hopefully look like this.
Now add 1 more cup of flour…
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder…
And just under a teaspoon of baking soda and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. At this point I wondered why you don't put cinnamon right into the dough...you know, add flavour to it??!! So I tried it...and REALLY liked the results! I sprinkled probably about 3 tablespoons full on top and then mixed everything in.
At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to splurge out of the pan, just punch it down. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls...that's what I did!
Sprinkle surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle.
Now drizzle about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of butter over the dough. I know for sure my mom skips this step! Organic pure butter actually has some health benefits...so if you're using the real stuff, then go ahead and indulge yourself!
Now sprinkle about 1 cup of cane sugar over the butter…I know you're wondering if honey or maple syrup would work instead! Both of those options would just run out of the rolls while baking and leave a burnt edge...not good...if there's ever a time for cane sugar, this is it!
…followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Some of the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture may ooze out toward the end, but that’s no big deal.
Next, pinch the seam to the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in seven round, foil cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting rolls approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. This recipe makes approximately seven pans of rolls. I use the disposable aluminum tins purely so I can give them as a gift and not need to worry about the dish!
Let the rolls sit for 20 to 30 minutes to rise (covered again with your lovely clean tea towel), then bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 20-22 minutes.
Ingredients4 cups Almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 cup olive oil
1 cup cane sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (plus 1 cup extra, separated) flour of choice
1 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1 tsp (scant) baking soda
1 tbsp(heaping) salt
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup (or more) of melted butter
2 cups cane sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
InstructionsMix the milk, oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool forq 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise, covered for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 20-22 minutes.
Freeze amazing!
ENJOY!!!!...with friends:)
