Cinnamon rolls aren’t the healthiest breakfast treat – but that’s probably why they’re considered to be a breakfast treat in the first place and not a breakfast staple. But homemade cinnamon rolls give you a little more control over what goes into your treats and you can do things like make them with a little bit less butter or, like these rolls, with some whole grain flour instead of all white flour. It’s not a huge change, but it can help cinnamon rolls work their way into the breakfast rotation a little more often.
A great substitution for all purpose flour in yeast breads is white whole wheat flour, as it has lots of whole grains but is close to the look and feel of all purpose flour. Regular whole wheat flour can make breads a little bit dense and, since it has less gluten in it than all purpose, breads can be a little bit crumbly. This isn’t really the case with the white whole wheat, which falls somewhere between the two extremes. The rolls aren’t too heavy, but are tender and soft, with a subtle nutty, whole grain flavor to them.
The dough was great, very easy to work with. It requires a slightly long first rise, then is rolled out and filled with butter, cinnamon and sugar. The dough is rolled up into a log, sliced into individual rolls and place in a baking dish. Once you reach this point, the dough can either be refrigerated overnight (my preference, so I can have the rolls in the morning) or let them rise and bake right away. I top mine with a simple glaze made with confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract. It adds just the right amount of sweetness without making the rolls too gooey or hard to handle. +Continue Reading
As far as I can tell, the difference between a cinnamon roll and a cinnamon bun is that the latter has some sort of icing, while the former does not. I find this to be somewhat akin to the difference between cupcakes and muffins. While there are plenty of roll recipes, many bun recipes seem to be for “sticky buns”. Now I like a bit of icing, but I don’t like something that I am expected to eat with my hands to be terribly gooey. A little gooey and we can talk…
Easter brunch is a good occasion for cinnamon buns because they can be served at room temperature. Of course they’re best warm, but no one wants to slave over a hot stove making waffles or pancakes when they could be outside enjoying a gorgeous LA morning with friends. At least, I don’t.
I was going for a basic recipe to create a bun that was rich enough, but not so rich that you couldn’t have two. Though I enjoy kneading bread, it isn’t necessary because this recipe uses an electric mixer. I didn’t measure the cinnamon or brown sugar, just sprinkled them directly from their containers until the rough was covered. When I sliced the logs, I threw out the end pieces that didn’t have much cinnamon and were uneven. If I were better at rolling out the dough, I definitely could have gotten a couple more buns out of the recipe.
I really loved these. Sweet, cinnamon-y and just sticky enough to give you something to lick off your fingers. The dough didn’t taste quite as rich as a brioche, but still had a feathery crumb and a nice rich taste. This recipe is a keeper! I think that they’re best slightly warm.
These can be kept at room temperature, well wrapped, or frozen. Reheat them in the microwave if you prefer your buns warm and slightly sticky.
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