I love baking breads of all sorts. Sweet breads, savory and plain — they are all wonderful — but nothing beats a homemade cinnamon bun. The smell of warm cinnamon sugar fills the kitchen. The cinnamon bread baking fills the air and the pitter-patter of feet brings the family to the kitchen, hardly waiting to grab an ooey-gooey cinnamon bun to munch on. There is just something about cinnamon buns that reminds us of the welcoming feeling of gramma’s kitchen. When the cinnamon buns are warm, they are removed from the pan, and the candied brown sugar envelopes the lightly spiced cinnamon buns and once cooled just enough as to not get burned, the pan of ooey-gooey cinnamon buns are placed on the table along with napkins, dessert plates and a pitcher of milk and everyone helps themselves until they are all devoured. Nothing beats a fresh cinnamon bun from the oven.
The ooey-gooey, candied part of our cinnamon buns is something my mom has always made, since I was a child. They were always so delicious and everyone wanted to know how my mom made them, but we never shared our secret with anyone. Until now. I am sharing how we make our famous cinnamon buns that fly off our farmer’s market tables so you can enjoy them at home too!
Cinnamon buns (what we typically call them in Canada, also known as cinnamon rolls), date back to the 1700’s where the yeast dough was often filled with currants, raisins and other dried fruit and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar before being rolled, sliced and baked. There are a variety of cinnamon buns from various European cultures but the cinnamon bun we know today did not become popularized until the 1920’s, when the expensive ingredients became a little more affordable.
Let’s get started!
I love making bread. It really is so satisfying! Watch our ooey gooey cinnamon buns here:
First off, we need to activate the yeast. Add sugar and traditional yeast to a bowl and add in warm water. Let sit 10 minutes. The yeast should look pillowy and soft and will have at least doubled.
I then add sourdough starter to my recipe, but you can easily omit it if you do not have any readily available! If you are looking on how to start your very own sourdough starter, I have all the simple steps laid out here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/making-sourdough-starter
An active sourdough will be one that has bubbles throughout the mixture. I add sourdough and yeast which creates a wonderful taste and a lighter, fluffier dough. You can omit the yeast if you like, but the cinnamon buns will be rather heavy.
To the yeast and sourdough mixture, add flour. I use both whole grain and organic white flour. I like the combination of both flours. The whole grain gives it an old fashioned hearty, nutty flavor while the organic white flour helps to give the dough an airy lightness to it.
Add eggs and stir well.
Add more flour and stir.
We will just be adding enough flour until a dough forms. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead, adding flour if needed just until the dough is no longer sticky, but still a bit tacky.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour in a cold oven with the oven light on, door closed. You can also place on the stove and cover with parchment and a tea towel.
After an hour, the dough should have at least doubled in size. Slightly punch dough down. This is the most satisfying part!
Grease a 9×13” pan. Combine cream and brown sugar together. Stir well. Pour into pan and set aside. This sauce will create our ooey-gooey topping on our cinnamon buns!
Turn dough out onto counter. Roll out to about 1/2” thick.
Spread dough with butter. I ended up melting the butter a bit more than I usually do, but it still works great.
Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Sprinkle with cinnamon. You can add raisins or nuts if you like.
Roll up jelly roll style. Pinch end of dough together.
Slice with a serrated knife or with floss.
Place rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with parchment and let rise in cold oven with light on for 30 minutes.
Remove parchment. The rolls should have at least doubled in size!
Bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cream sauce has candied.
Flip hot pan onto a platter or board, or remove rolls with a spatula and place gooey side up. If you wait too long to remove from the pan, the rolls get candied to the pan and is near impossible to remove!! I have learned this the hard way many years ago!!
These cinnamon buns are best fresh! You won’t be able to stop at just one!
Look at that scrumptious ooey-gooey candied brown sugar! So decadent and so yummy!
Cinnamon Buns
1-1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
2/3 cup sourdough starter – can omit
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole grain flour like red fife
2-1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
To a large bowl, add sugar and yeast. Pour in warm water and let it proof 10 minutes. Add warm milk, oil, sourdough starter if using, and salt. Stir. Add 1-1/2 cups flour. Mix vigorously. Add eggs and stir well. Add enough flour to make a dough. Turn out onto floured surface, adding flour if too sticky and knead until dough is just tacky (but not super sticky). Place in an oiled bowl, slightly oil top of dough. Place in cold oven (with oven light on), topped with parchment paper and a tea towel over top. Let rise 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Make the ooey-gooey glaze. Pour 1 cup brown sugar with 1 cup heavy cream. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9×13” baking pan. Set aside.
Lightly punch dough down. Roll out to 1/2” thick or so with a rolling pin. Butter dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. You can also sprinkle on raisins or nuts if you like. Roll from long end, jelly roll style. Pinch ends to roll once you get to the end. Slice with a serrated knife or use floss to cut buns. Place buns in prepared pan. Cover with parchment and let rise 30 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and cream/sugar sauce has candied. Remove from oven. Flip pan onto serving platter or board while hot or remove with a spatula from the pan. Remove any candied bits. Enjoy while warm, or wait until cooled. Be sure to use caution as the candied sugar sauce will be quite hot. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to one day.
