Cinnamon Buns with Raisins

Here's an easy recipe to make your own cinnamon buns from scratch.  Your house will be guaranteed to smell amazing!  Besides, they won't have preservatives in them like store-bought, and you'll have the satisfaction of making your own.

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Questions

How do you keep cinnamon buns moist?

The most crucial step is making sure not to overbake them.  You'll know the buns are cooked when the center rolls have an internal temperature of 190 F on a meat thermometer.  They should also be well browned.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, you can start cinnamon rolls ahead of time if you need to.  I recommend mixing and kneading the dough the day before and refrigerating it overnight to let it rise.  Roll out and shape the buns, prove them again, and bake them the next day.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze them.  Let the buns cool completely, then seal them inside of zip-top freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month.  Defrost in the microwave or at room temperature.

How to Make

• Pour the bread flour into a bowl and mix in the salt and yeast on opposite sides.
• Add in the spices, sugar, orange zest, egg, butter, and half of the milk and mix to form a dough.
• Gradually add the remaining milk to form a slightly sticky dough.
• Knead the dough until it's stretchy and passes the windowpane test as described in the recipe card.
• Shape into a bowl and place in a covered bowl and let it prove until it's at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch down, roll out into a rectangle, and spread with softened butter.  Sprinkle cinnamon and raisins on top.
• Roll the dough up tightly from one of the short ends of the rectangle, pinch the seams to seal, and slice into buns.
• Place the buns a little apart from each other on a cookie sheet or baking stone.  Let them prove until springy to the touch, about 45 minutes.
• Bake them at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until well browned.
• Brush the buns with warm apricot jam to give them a lovely shine and sticky exterior.

Pro Tips

• Use a kitchen scale to measure dry ingredients.  This is quicker and more accurate than using cups.
• Always use bread flour.  All-purpose cannot give you the same high-rising, fluffy buns because it's lower in protein.
• Knead sufficiently.  Use the windowpane test as described in the recipe card to see if the dough is kneaded enough.
• Dough rising too slowly?  Place the dough in a cold oven and place a pan of boiling water on the shelf beneath.
• Leftovers?  Store at room temperature in a zip-top bag for up to 24 hours for best freshness, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Other Cinnamon Breads You'll Love

• Kanellängd (Swedish Christmas bread)
• Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
• King Cake
• Sticky Buns
• Swedish Tea Ring

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Recipe

Cinnamon Buns with Raisins

You don’t need a Kitchenaid to make these sticky, pull apart cinnamon rolls!  You can learn how to make these fragrant homemade cinnamon rolls in just a few simple steps.  Imagine eating these sweet treats on Christmas morning!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: from scratch, instant yeast

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 16 buns

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Emma

Ingredients

 

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For the Dough

• ▢ 4 ¼ cups white bread flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons fast-action yeast
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mixed spice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ Zest of 1 orange
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• ▢ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 beaten egg

For the Filling

• ▢ 3 ½ tablespoons salted butter, softened
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ rounded ½ cup raisins
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Decoration

• ▢ ½ cup apricot jam

US Imperial - Metric

Instructions

Making the Dough

• Put the flour into a large bowl.  Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, and stir each one in with your finger.
• Dump in the spices, sugar, and orange zest, and mix everything together with your whole hand.
• Using a saucepan or the microwave, heat the milk to 100-110 F, and melt the unsalted butter.  Make sure both the milk and butter are no hotter than 110 F so they do not kill the yeast.
• Pour in the milk, butter, and beaten egg and mix by hand until everything is fully incorporated.
• Knead on a lightly floured countertop for 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy, smooth, and no longer extremely sticky.  Be careful not to add too much flour at this stage, or the dough will be tough and dry.
• Form the dough into a ball, then prove in a lightly oiled bowl covered tightly with cling wrap for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until at least doubled in size.

Assembling the Buns

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board, and punch it down all over to knock out the air.
• Roll the dough out to an approximately 13" by 17" rectangle with a long edge facing you.  Stick down the long side of the dough opposite you by pushing the edge of the dough down at an angle.  This will help you get a tight roll later.
• Spread the softened butter all over the dough, making sure to get right to the edge.  Then, sprinkle the brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon evenly across the dough.
• Roll up the dough, starting with the long side closest to you. Be sure to roll tightly to get a good shape.  Press down gently on the roll with the flat of your hands and roll it back and forth a couple times to lengthen it some.
• Using a large stainless steel scraper or sharp knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, including the ends. Place the buns in a circular pattern on a circular baking stone.  Make sure to place them about ½ inch apart so their sides can join together as they prove and bake.
• Cover with cling wrap and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes, depending upon the temperature in your room. The sides of the rolls should be touching once they are proved.
• About 10 minutes before they are done proving, preheat the oven to 375 F.

Baking the Buns

• Bake them in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes. If the filling starts to burn, cover with aluminum foil.  The buns should be a rich golden brown, but not too dark.
• Let them cool on the baking stone for 10 minutes, then move them to two cooling racks placed side by side.

Decorating the Buns

• While they are cooling, prepare the decoration.  Heat the apricot jam in a small pot until warm, stirring frequently, then push through a sieve to remove the lumps of fruit.  Then, brush the sieved jam all over the buns while they are still warm.
• Let they cool some before tearing them.  Eat them warm with soft butter.

Notes

• Weigh dry ingredients on a kitchen scale for a quick and accurate measurement.
• Be sure to use bread flour.  All-purpose is lower in protein and won't give you the best results.
• Make sure the dough is kneaded enough.  Use the windowpane test as described above to check it.
• Dough rising too slowly?  Place the dough in a cold oven and place a pan of boiling water on the shelf beneath.
• Leftover buns?  Store sealed in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 43g (14%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mg (10%)Sodium: 187mg (8%)Potassium: 138mg (4%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 12g (13%)Vitamin A: 251IU (5%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 44mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

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