Nutty Cinnamon Buns

I first fell in love with cinnamon buns half a lifetime ago when Saint Cinnamon came to Kuala Lumpur. The queues were infamously long. I myself had not the patience to queue for them but I would always cling on to the hope that one of my family members had more patience than I.

Since moving to the UK, I have been smitten by the silver fox that is Paul Hollywood (is it those blue eyes mixed with that sexy bit of grey hair?) and have been influenced to bake bread. Paul, oh Paul made me fall in love with baking bread.  

That being said, I was not one for trying my hand at sweet breads as I found them intimidating. For that, I have my fellow Malaysian friend Sharon to thank. She first suggested we bake some cinnamon buns when I visited her in Leeds. Yes, us Malaysians, it is a continuous cycle of cooking and eating all the time! 

Needless to say, these buns have become a staple in my kitchen. 

These buns are delicious and soft with a delicious crunchy candied nut topping. They are a fantastic tea time treat and are best consumed when warm with a hot cup of black coffee. 

A word of caution, please make them when you have the time to fit in a 10km run or at least 2 spinning classes after. Don't blame me for the state of your behind. 

Recipe for Nutty Cinnamon Buns

Makes 12 / Prep - approximately 3 hours / Bake 20-25 minutes

You will need a deep sided baking tray or roasting dish

For the Dough

300ml Full Fat Milk

40gm Unsalted Butter

500gm Strong White Flour, plus extra for dusting

10gm Fine Salt

10gm Instant Yeast

1 Medium Egg (lightly beaten)

For the Filling

50gm Unsalted Butter (Melted)

70gm Dark Brown Soft Sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

For the Topping

100gm Unsalted Butter (softened)

70gm Dark Brown Soft  Sugar

80gm Walnut or Pecan Nuts (coarsely chopped)

Method

1. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts and the mixture is lukewarm. Mix in the lightly beaten egg.

2. Measure out the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. (Remember - salt kills the yeast!)

3. Add the milk and egg mixture and stir together with your hands. Keep mixing until you have formed a rough dough. 

4. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead. Keep kneading until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin. Do not be afraid if the dough is wet, keep kneading and it will start to feel more elastic and supple. This should take approximately 10-20 minutes (the variation in time is because this depends on your strength and endurance)  

Smooth Dough

5. Once the dough is smooth, place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or cling film and leave it to rise until at least doubled in size. This will take anywhere from 1 - 3 hours. The variation in time is due to the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough to rise in is 23.8°C. 

6. Whilst waiting for the dough to rise, line your baking or roasting tray with parchment paper. Thereafter, you can start to prepare the filling and topping.

7. For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan. Combine the sugar with the cinnamon powder evenly and set aside.

8. For the topping, beat the butter with the sugar until thoroughly combined, then set aside. You will spread this over the top of the buns later.

9. Tip the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, without knocking it back, roll it out to a rectangle about 24 x 48cm.

10. Now, it is time to add the filling. Brush the surface of the rolled out dough all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top. You can also sprinkle some nuts if you like. 

11. Carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Using a sharp knife, slice it into 12 slices. Place the dough, cut side up, into your baking tray or roasting dish. Do leave a slight gap between each slice as the buns will expand.

12. Using a spatula or knife, spread the topping over the buns and scatter the nuts over.

The buns before the topping is added

13. Place your baking tray or roasting dish in a clean plastic bag and leave the buns to rise for a further 30 minutes. Heat your oven to 190°C. 

14. Bake your buns for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

15. Set aside to cool (if you can resist!) Eat. 

The finished product

I am submitting these Nutty Cinnamon Buns to this fantastic food blogging challenge which I discovered called Fresh From the Oven which is created by Michelle from Utterly Scrummy Food For Families and Claire from Purely Food.

This challenge is all about bread! The challenge consists of a different theme each month, with each month's challenge being hosted by a food blogger. July's challenge is being hosted by Elizabeth's Kitchen where the theme of the challenge is Picnic and Barbecue bread recipes. I cannot wait to see the round up of recipes later this month. I am super excited as well as this is my first time participating in a food blogging challenge. I hope I have diligently adhered to the rules!