Cinnamon Buns

This recipe is from thepioneerwoman.com, and they are easily the best cinnamon buns I have tasted in a very long time.  I usually make a half-batch because it produces such a large quantity of cinnamon buns, but lately I have been getting quite a lot of requests, so next time I will definitely be making a full batch! 


I, like most desserts, prefer my cinnamon buns without any topping, but most people love them with cream cheese frosting.  I can't deny that cream cheese frosting is amazing, but there is just something about these cinnamon buns that make them delectable all on their own. It probably has something to do with the mass amounts of butter, sugar, and cinnamon, yum!


First you have to scald your milk/vegetable oil/sugar mixture in a saucepan on the stove. Once the mixture starts to get really small bubbles on the edges (right before boiling point) you have to quickly remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to cool until it is warm to the touch (not hot, not room temperature).


After the milk has cooled enough to tough, sprinkle the active yeast on top and let it sit for a couple minutes. Then pour the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl, and mix it well with 8 cups of flour.  After it is all mixed, cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours so it can rise. 

Right after adding the 8 cups of flour

After letting it rise for 1 1/2 hours

After the dough has risen (I always find the fact that my dough has risen to be very exciting!) mix in the remaining dry ingredients and separate the dough into 2 equal portions.


Generously (and I mean generously) flour your counter and place half of the dough on top. Mold the dough so that it resembles a rectangular shape, and then roll it out.  

I like the dough to be about this thick, but I also know some people who prefer it much thinner, so it is a personal preference.

When your dough is evenly rolled out, melt about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of butter, and pour it on top of the dough.  Spread it around so all of the dough is covered.  Then sprinkle on 1 cup of sugar, followed by a very generous sprinkling of cinnamon.  

Roll your dough up into a long cylinder.  I found it to be the easiest to roll when you start at the end farthest from yourself, and work your way inwards.  Press the edges of the dough together to help seal everything together.  Cut 1 inch sections all the way down your long cinnamon roll, and place them in tins that have been coated with yet more melted butter. 

I use the square tins that you can get at the grocery store, and fit about 9 to 10 cinnamon buns in each tin.

Place your filled tins off to the side, cover them with a tea towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes so that they become nice and fluffy.


Repeat with the second half of the dough.  When you are done the second half, the first half that are sitting and rising will be ready for the oven!


I cook mine at 375F for about 17 - 18 minutes, but my oven runs really hot.  When we made them at a friend's house, they weren't quite cooked enough so i would definitely try cooking them at 400F in a regular oven.


While my cinnamon buns are cooking, I make up my cream cheese icing! Again, my fiance and I prefer our cinnamon buns without any icing, but we are the only ones we know who prefer them that way.  So I need to make sure that I have cream cheese icing to go with my cinnamon buns when I deliver my trays to everyone!


These are so good, we always have so much trouble waiting for them to come out of the oven.  Try one when they are still warm, they practically melt in your mouth!

These are so good, you will want to make sure even the funny end pieces make it onto the pans!


The original post can be found here, and it includes a different icing for the cinnamon buns. I have never actually made the icing specified in the post, but I am sure it is amazing!


Cinnamon Buns

• 1 liter of milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 packages of Active Dry Yeast
• 9 cups flour 
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon baking soda
• 1 heaping tablespoon of salt
• Lots of melted butter for the cinnamon buns, and for the pans (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups sugar
• Lots and lots of cinnamon

1. Pour the milk, sugar, and vegetable oil into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until milk mixture has some bubbles along the edges of the pan, right before it comes to a boil
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and let stand until it is cool enough to touch, but is not hot. This takes about an hour.
3. When warm, sprinkle both packages of yeast over the milk mixture and let set for a couple of minutes.
4. Add 8 cups of flour to the milk mixture and mix thoroughly.  Cover with at tea towel and let stand for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours so that the dough can rise.
5. After the dough has risen, add the last cup of flour,the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
6. Very generously sprinkle flour on your counter and place half of the dough onto the counter top
7. Roll out the dough.  Try to keep the dough in a shape that resembles a rectangle, it will make it easier to roll up later
8. Cover the dough with 1/2 to 3/4 cups of melted butter. Spread the butter around to ensure all of the dough is covered.
9. Sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the dough, yes, one whole cup of sugar!
10. Sprinkle cinnamon over top of the sugar and butter.  The more cinnamon the better!
11. Roll the dough up into a long cinnamon roll.  I found it easiest if you start at the edge farthest from you and roll towards yourself.
12. Spread melted butter in your pans so that the cinnamon rolls won't stick to the pans
13. Cut your roll into 1 inch thick sections, and place each cinnamon bun into a pan.  I usually fit 9 to 10 rolls per square aluminum pan.
14. Set the filled pans aside and let rise for 30 minutes before baking.
15. Repeat steps 6 through 14 with the second half of the dough
16. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400 and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.  They are done when the top of each cinnamon bun is golden brown.  Personally, my oven runs hot so I bake them at 375 for 17 minutes, and they come out perfect, but other people I know who have made them found that 375 was too low.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 - 2 cups icing sugar (depending on how sweet you like your icing)
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Cream all four ingredients together until smooth
2. You can adjust how sweet the icing is by adding the icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, and tasting it after each addition. Enjoy!