I haven’t made cinnamon buns in a very long time.
When I was first married I will admit to thinking Pillsbury’s Poppin’ Fresh Cinnamon Rolls in that little tube sold from the freezer case at the grocery store were pretty darn good.
After some years had gone by, and my baking skills advanced to a point at which I had become comfortable with trying what would be considered challenging to some, I tackled cinnamon rolls from scratch.
I have made various recipes for these rolls over the years, and some came out better than others. But, as I’ve said before it’s that whole practice makes perfect thing that tames the fear of the unknown. And this is especially true when delving into the mysterious world of working with a yeast dough.
In the act of doing, we can learn so much… until eventually for example, we know why the dough didn’t rise or the rolls came out tough…so I guess what I’m trying to say is in baking, as in life, if you persevere through what you may view as a failure eventually your success will be that much sweeter!
When looking for a recipe for cinnamon buns for an upcoming brunch I settled on this one from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great American Desserts.
As I read through the recipe which took up 3 good sized pages in the book I was intrigued by what she had to say about these cinnamon buns…
“These are the largest, lightest, old-fashioned, country-style, sweet yeast rolls. Yeast loves potatoes. When yeast dough is made with potatoes, as this is, it becomes especially alive and fat and happy.”
I wholeheartedly agree with her assessment. These cinnamon buns were “fat and happy” to say the least, and since the recipe makes 12 very large buns I had to force myself to freeze the ones remaining for another time to keep us from becoming “fat and unhappy”.
Here’s the recipe… (Don’t let the length of this recipe scare you…they’re well worth the time).
Cinnamon Buns (from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts)
(makes 12 very large buns)
1 cup mashed potatoes (see Notes)
1 cup milk
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut up
¼ cup warm water (105-115 degrees-see Notes)
1 envelop active dry yeast
1 egg graded “large” or “extra-large”
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 4 and1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour or bread flour
Additional flour
Generously butter a 4- to 6-quart bowl for the dough to rise in; set it aside.
Place the mashed potatoes (which may be warm or cool) in a saucepan and, stirring constantly, add the milk very gradually. Stir in ½ cup of the sugar (reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar), and the salt and butter. Place over low heat and stir occasionally until the mixture is warm (105 to 115 degrees). It is not necessary for the butter to have melted completely.
Meanwhile, in a 1-cup glass measuring cup, stir the warm water with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, sprinkle on the yeast, stir briefly with a knife, and set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture rises to about the ¾ cup line.
In a small bowl beat the egg to mix and add the vanilla.
When the potato and milk mixture is warm enough, transfer it to the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in the yeast mixture and the egg. On low speed gradually add about 3 cups of the flour. Beat on low speed for a minute or two. Remove the bowl from the mixture. the dough will be wet and sticky now. with a heavy wooden spatula gradually stir in the remaining 1 and ¼ cups of flour.
Flour a large work surface. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. The dough will probably be too sticky to knead. If it is, add a bit of additional flour and, with a dough scraper or a wide metal spatula, turn the dough over and over with the additional flour -adding still a bit more if necessary- until you can handle the dough.
Then knead it for 5 minutes, again adding additional flour if necessary. (You might have to add a total of ½ to ¾ cup additional flour. But potato dough has a tendency to remain a bit sticky even when it has enough flour so do not use more than you must.) After about 5 minutes of active kneading the dough should be smooth and alive.
Place the dough in the buttered bowl, turn it around in the bowl to butter all sides, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 1 and ½ hours, ( see additional notes on Rising) until the dough is at least double in volume.
Then make a fist, punch down the middle of the dough, and fold in and press down the sides of the dough to deflate it all.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover it loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, butter a -15 and ½ by -10 and ½ by- 1-inch jelly roll pan.
With a along, heavy floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into about an 18-inch square. The dough will be rubbery and will resist you. Just let it stand occasionally for a few minutes and then roll it again. After a few tries it will do what you want.
FILLING
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 and ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ounce (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
5 ounces (1 cup) dark raisins, steamed (see Notes)
In a small bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg. With a wide pastry brush, or with the palm of your hand, spread the butter all over the surface of the rolled-out dough. With a large spoon, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar on the dough, then sprinkle on the raisins.
With your hands roll the dough up like a jelly roll. The roll of dough should be the same thickness all over; shape it as necessary.
Place the pieces cut side down (and up) in the prepared pan, making 3 rows with 4 buns in each row.
Cover loosely with a lightweight towel and set to rise again for about 1 hour. During rising the buns will grow into each other.
(If the dough is rising in the oven, remove it about 20 minutes before the baking time and let stand, covered, at room temperature in a draft-free spot.)
Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the buns for about 20 minutes, reversing the pan front to back once after about 12 minutes of baking, until the buns are nicely but lightly browned. (Do not overbake or the buns will dry out.)
Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.
GLAZE
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ to 1 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
A few drops almond extract
About 2 tablespoons light cream
In the small bowl of an electric mixer beat all of the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. It should be thick, barely thin enough to pour-adjust the cream and/or sugar as necessary.
Drip the glaze in a rather narrow stream every which way all over the warm buns.
Let stand until completely cool. (I think they are even better a few hours later.)
Just before serving, cut the rolls apart with a small, sharp knife and with a wide metal spatula remove them from the pan.
NOTES: 1. The mashed potatoes can be made with instant dry mashed potatoes or fresh potatoes. It takes about ¾ pound fresh potatoes to make 1 cup mashed potatoes. Peel, cut into chucks, place in a small saucepan with water, boil, partially covered, until tender, drain, and then mash the potatoes. If you are using fresh potatoes save the water they boiled in and use some of it for dissolving the yeast
(first heat it as necessary); since yeast loves potatoes so much, this will make it extra happy.
2. To steam the raisins, place them in a vegetable steamer or a strainer over shallow water in a saucepan. Cover, place over moderate heat, and let the water boil for about 5 minutes until the raisins are soft and moist. Then uncover and set the raisins aside until you are ready for them.
Most of all, when they are cool try one before serving to others to be sure they are perfect!
