Cinnamon roll is how I roll! …You too? C’mon buns (as in cinnamon buns).
Or cinnamon swirls that are whimsical. 🍥 You can bake and get these anytime you want from your oven!
They’re so swirly whimsical 🌀 and tasty comforting in the mouth (and inner child). 🍥
And hint: if you’re feeling adult anxious, a warm cinnamon roll and cinnamon tea any season of the year can comfort and hug you in a way like no other… ok, maybe a cozy blanket and a warm and fuzzy movie would go great too!
Those you can grab with your foolproof cinnamon roll.
FOOLPROOF because these decadent sweet bread rolls come out soft and airy light every time. 🥮 Or as long as I’ve been baking weekly since 2020.
I sacrificed… and bit into one with to show you the inner workings.😂
The air pocket, rise, and moist difference is in the flour type and yogurt add. Bread flour gives the rise and the yogurt helps the moist.
So often we’re confronted with which flour to use? And sometimes it’s a cake-bread or bready cake (…is that a type of dessert?).
…How I like to set the two apart is between either using yeast OR baking soda and baking powder.
If yeast is used, then bread flour (or in some cases whole wheat flour) is my go-to and that’s for a mostly bread-like consistency… like a cinnamon roll.
And if it’s cake, then some all-purpose or cake flour will give the cake texture.
And if you mix-and-match these flours, then you’ll like get more of a cake bread as the gluten-level is somewhere in the middle. Makes sense… and you don’t have to be good at math.
And to keep the math even more simple, this recipe uses all bread flour. So it’s no-mistake bread. 💯
Bread flour (or a mix with whole wheat flour) does the best for cinnamon buns in my opinion, but you can definitely substitute with crumbly gluten-free “healthy” flours and add natural xantham gum or other natural binders.
The bread prep can be done in 10 minutes by hand mixing 4 ingredients: warm water, flour, instant yeast, and salt.
This is an enriched dough so you can let it rest for a few minutes and start baking if you’re in a hurry… but better if you let it proof for an hour or two.
The moist and healthy vibes come from a healthy fat (light EVOO) and yogurt.
And below are the easy recipe steps.
B-ready?
Which btw, cinnamon rolls are delicious to pair with a cinnamon tea or if that’s too much cinnamon, an Earl Grey tea with raisins in tea (and on top of buns if you like)… a little zhugh I learned along the way that adds to A BUN DANCE (abundance on a plate 🍽️).
…So you can be anticipating your bake with your warm bevy in hand.
Low-Sugar Delicious Cinnamon Roll
This is a low-sugar cinnamon roll and you don’t need refined white sugar for this refined cinn-roll 😊 bread recipe. That’s especially good if low-sugar only is one of your healthy goals. It’s always a plus!
For sweetness: this recipe uses raw honey and cinnamon for sweetness that are anti-inflammatory ingredients. And with many healthy seasons in, I’m usually light-handed with sweet… BUT this sweet duo I douse on heavy-handed as healthy and tasty good.
…This gives the punchy cinnamon ooey-gooey vibes that combined are comforting and anti-inflammatory.
And I recommend adding honey in the dough and as a final glaze ontop. You can use honey directly ontop (of an egg wash if you choose) or make a simple syrup mixed with a little heated water.
Also, add a bunch of cinnamon spice in the dough for the sweet that’ll make your oven smell like an autumn bakery.
Because healthy fat is used, it will be a little different than a flaky butter finish like you’d get in a pastry… but still epic.
C’MON- Cinnamon Roll
Ingredients (for 8 rolls in a rectangular pan) or in the recipe below 👇 you can use a round pan to make a flower 🌼 design:
8”x 4” (or 9”x5”) pan
1-1/2 cups total flour (you can mix bread flour, whole wheat, gluten-free bread)
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 Tbsp sea salt or pinch of salt
1 Tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup)
1 Tbsp plain yogurt (Greek yogurt recommended)
1 generous Tbsp of cinnamon spice (Cassia or common cinnamon for baking)
¾ cup warm water (+ possibly more)
neutral oil for lining pan
Directions:
Knead flour, yeast, water, and salt ingredients with a dough hook in a mixing bowl on medium-high speed adding just enough warm water until all the flour is incorporated.
Some of the dough will be stringy (shaggy?) dough pieces or crumbs, and not a smooth dough (not like a baby’s bottom 👶)… yet.
Knead until a smooth consistency about 7-9 minutes. Add in the cinnamon, yogurt, and honey and turn on the mixing machine a few more times just to fully combine.
Common questions (to make this fully foolproof so you can’t mess this up!):
Dough too wet? If your dough seems to wet when you’ve been kneading a few minutes, add a little flour back. You can use any bench (e.g. all purpose or bread flour).
Dough too dry? If your dough seems shaggy dry, add a little more water 1 teaspoon at a time as needed until you get a smooth consistency that naturally slides off the dough hook.
What type of cinnamon? In stores, you’ll often find two types: Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is the common kind you see that’s good for these rolls and baking in general with. Leave the Ceylon cinnamon for your tea or warm bevy.
And after you’re confident with your dough, let it rest as a ball for 1-2 hours covered in a pan full lined with neutral oil and covered with a tea towel (or clean T-shirt cover will work).
You can also leave overnight covered in the fridge. If leaving overnight, add enough oil or water to the dough so it doesn’t dry out.
When you’re ready to bring the dough out either same day or from the fridge overnight, lay it on top of a little bench flour (any baking flour will work. I like to stick with the same ones I’m using in the buns or whole wheat flour).
Roll out the dough (not too thin but to about 1/4-1/2″ thick) into a rectangle shape and then cut strips with a pizza wheel cutter or knife, saving the dough scrap ends.
Roll out the remaining dough and combine with the dough scraps, to make 8 total long pieces about the same size.
These strips will be your rolled up buns with spirals up. ꩜
Bake time will vary depending on flour choices, dough thickness, baking pan, and oven. As a guideline, bake until a little darker than golden brown as the outside is browner then the inside that can still be a little moist/unbaked.
Suggested time and temperature: bake at 350 °F/180°C for about 45 minutes or until dark golden brown on the bottoms.
You’ll be tempted to think that they’re done sooner or maybe around the 30-35 minute mark, but inside they will still likely be raw… but you’re almost there! So let your rolls bake a little longer than the outer appearance.
Around the 30 minute mark while you’re checking, you may also want to add a glaze. I recommend 1 egg white with a teaspoon or so of water.
Mix and brush on top. It will leave a milky opaque glaze that will be good on its own OR as a primer for your final shiny (honey) glaze.
These are foolproof.
Best to enjoy the buns while they’re warm out of the oven.. or you can keep out for a day or so, and/or refrigerate covered for a few more days.
OR you can freeze for another occasion and bring out a day or two before you want to re-heat.
For more zhugh pairings, you can also add sweet orange zest. Looks like a pain aux raisins, n’est-ce pas? 🧡
This one is surrounded by a bergamot (Earl Grey) tea bath. 🫖
Foolproof Cinnamon Roll
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast (if you use active yeast add to warm water to activate first)
- 1/4 tbsp pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 Tbsp plain flavor yogurt
- 1 Tbsp heaping spoon of Cassia cinnamon
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Make bread by mixing flour, water, salt, yeast for at least 7 minutes or until it comes together and passes the slapping water stage to build up gluten.
- Let proof for at least 1-2 hours at room temperature in a covered bowl lined with oil to keep the dough moist. TIP: use the same pan you will bake in and you'll have one less sticky dough item to clean up. Use a round cake pan for round cinnamon rolls and a square pan for squarish rolls.
- Roll dough out then roll up into a log (or that looks like a sleeping bag).
- Cut into even slices with cooking thread or dental floss. You can also use a serated knife to not smush down the buns that you want to rise.
- Place rolls with swirls up in baking pan and bake on 350°F until deeper or dark golden brown for about 45 minutes so the bottoms and all is baked through. Optional shine: Add egg white wash when almost done baking (and/or glaze after baking and cooling). You can also add honey to tops after baked and cooled.
