I finally made it to Raleigh! And it’s legit!
I have my own place, I’m slowly figuring out the urban landscape, and Dan has introduced me to a network of really nice people. Everything is falling into place. Now, if I could just nail down the tricky task of getting a job. That is my final hurdle in this process.
The last time I made these cinnamon buns, I was visiting Dan in Raleigh and it seemed fitting to make them again. It’s strange having spare time to bake again, because while working at Lucy & Leo’s in Tallahassee, baking at home after a long shift of baking at work wasn’t always what I felt like doing. I’m relieved to know that I still get the urge to bake at home when I’m not extremely tired and caked with flour and powdered sugar. It’s also nice to know that the my new oven works well!
This recipe yields quite a few buns and are best enjoyed the morning you make them, so I suggest using this recipe for brunch parties or post sleepover breakfasts.
Cinnamon Buns w/ Cream Cheese frosting (Yields about 10 buns)
Dough:
1 package dry active yeast (1/4 oz.)
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup softened butter
Icing:
8 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or until you reach desired sweetness and thickness)
cream cheese frosting
Directions:
For rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Add the sugar, softened butter, and eggs. Mix well with a whisk or hand mixer for several minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix until just combined. Dough will be sticky.
Cover the bowl with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 400 F. Roll dough out on a floured surface, until it is approximately 21 inches long by 16 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. I definitely did not measure my dough, I just eyed it. I rolled it out into a large rectangle shape and made sure the thickness was even.
For filling, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened butter over surface of dough, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over surface.
Roll dough down from the top edge to the bottom edge. If you were folding a sheet of paper the same way, you’d fold it “hot dog” style.
Cut dough into desired 1 3/4 inch slices and place in lightly greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes. I wound up baking mine for close to 20 so that the centers were fully cooked and the edges were golden brown.
