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Cinnamon Rolls or Cinnamon Buns? Delicious Either Way!

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Lightly Glazed Cinnamon Bun

I call them Cinnamon Rolls, Peter Reinhart calls them Cinnamon Buns.  Whatever you call them, these things are delicious!  These Cinnamon Buns are the eighth bread in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge!

What fun we’re having with this challenge!  Unlike some of the other great baking groups out there, we aren’t all baking the exact same breads at the exact same time.  But that’s what I’ve really grown to love about it!  It’s wonderful to have support and advice from those who have baked the bread before you, and it’s equally nice to be cheered on by those you who are following along behind you.

Speaking of being behind, it might seem that I’ve fallen behind in the challenge since I actually made these cinnamon rolls a couple of weeks ago.  But I’m further ahead in my bread baking than I am in my blogging and I plan on completing the tenth bread tomorrow!  You’ll just have to excuse me as I rush you through two bread posts this week (you’ll be reading about the next bread tomorrow) so I can try to get back on my original BBA blogging schedule.  I’ll try. We’ll see.  Either way, I’ll be sharing the process of every single bread I bake regardless of whether it’s on time or not!

I’m going to try something a little different this week.  Since the photos are self-explanatory, I’m going to let them stand on their own, without explanation.  Let’s see if you can follow along!

Cinnamon Roll Dough Ingredients

Creaming Butter and Sugar

Adding Egg and Lemon Zest

Beating Egg and Butter Mixture

Adding Flour and Water

Beat Until Dough Forms

Switch to Dough Hook

Knead with Dough Hook

Dough is Finished Kneading

Place Dough in Oiled Bowl

Allow Dough to Double

Put Dough on an Oiled Surface for Rolling

Roll Dough into a Rectangle

Sprinkle Dough with Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture

Personal Touch

Roll Dough into a Log

Place Seam Side Down

Score the Dough Lightly Where You Want to Cut It

Cut the Dough with a Sharp Knife

Place Cinnamon Rolls on Baking Sheet

Let Cinnamon Rolls Rise

Bake Cinnamon Rolls Until Golden

Drizzle Cinnamon Rolls with Glaze

Let Cinnamon Rolls Cool on a Wire Rack

I didn’t feel the need to offer explanations for the photos this time because I really didn’t have any problems at all with this formula!  Everything worked perfectly.  But there is something I would change next time.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the White Fondant Glaze and think I would prefer a different type of icing.  Next time I’ll try the Sticky Bun variation, or perhaps make a cream cheese glaze for the cinnamon buns.

For those of you who are participating in The BBA Challenge, here are some questions:  How did you like the Cinnamon Buns?  Did you make straight cinnamon buns or did you turn them into gooey sticky buns?  Did you learn anything new while using this formula?  Would you make them again?

And remember, if you wrote a blog post about your Cinnamon Buns, or have photos available online, please leave a comment and share your link!

Cinnamon Roll

The Next Bread

I’m not putting the cinnamon away quite yet, because the next bread is Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread!  If you want to bake along, the instructions begin on page 147 of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  The recipe is very straightforward and doesn’t require any extra special ingredients.  It will make two loaves, so you’ll have an extra for the freezer or to give away to a lucky friend!  We have the option of adding even more cinnamon flavor by turning them into cinnamon swirl loafs (you know I’ll be doing that)!  Good luck and happy baking!

Want to Bake Along With Us?

There are several ways for you to join in the fun!  First of all, you need a copy of Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Read the first section of the book carefully, as this will prepare you for the bread recipes in the second section of the book.  Then just jump in and bake some Anadama Bread! But first, please visit The BBA Challenge Page for more details on how to participate in the group!

If you haven’t already, you might want to bookmark the BBA Challenge Page.  From there you can see which breads are coming up soon, find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit and/or add yourself to our World Map, see the BBA Challenge Blogroll, and check out the continually updated slideshow of BBA Bread photos from our ever-expanding group of bakers!

Cinnamon and Sticky Buns from other BBA Challenge members:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Hélène says

    Finished this one last night. Was it ever delicious. I made the cinnamon buns with the white glaze. Next time I'll try the sticky buns. Will blog about it soon. Also made the cinnamon raisin nuts bread, yesterday, with less success. Stunning pictures.
    Reply

  3. Moira says

    I was a vanilla person too. Loved the dough, loved the process (because it was so easy) but ....well, didn't love the sticky buns. I made 2 pans. The first seemed cooked but the glaze was thin, and the other was a little too hard. Both pans went in at the same time. Go figure. I ended up wishing I had made them into buns instead. They still disappeared, but not a stellar event.
    Reply

  5. Yoshi says

    Those look delicious! I didn't think the fondant was incredible? But I thought it was a very nice accent to the buns themselves, but I did use lemon extract. Not sure if maybe that made the difference? I made a recipe of these as well as the whole wheat ones from Whole Grain Breads and took them into work... they all vanished pretty quickly. I wasn't expecting the whole wheat ones too, especially since I over cooked some of them! Overall a good experience, the recipes worked well and they were fun.
    Reply

  7. Melanie says

    I've never made bread, it scares me a little. But I do love cinnamon bun, and there's no way to buy them in Paris, so I should really learn to overcome my fear!! Do you have any advice for a "bread-virgin" like me?
    Reply

  8. Maggy says

    I really need these in my life... In fact, I might make them on Saturday. On Sunday I'm doing a 10K run with about 12 friends who have been wonderful enough to raise money for my project in Malawi. I was thinking they would all need a bit of carb/sugar after the run - so I think this will be it. You make it look easy. Thanks, Nicole!
    Reply

  10. Cindy says

    Your pictorial story was lovely!! No words necessary. Since you didn't love the fondant, next time try the sticky buns. They are my absolute fave!!
    Reply

  13. Gourmet Mama says

    Perfect cinnamon rolls you have here. Looks very delicious, kinda' love it for dessert. I'm gonna make use of your recipe. And I'll try this during the weekend. The pictures explains the whole procedure, great work you have here. Thanks.
    Reply

  14. gammaraygirl says

    Loved the addition of lemon in the dough and icing. I make cinnamon rolls often and use a 1/4 leftover mashed potatoes in the dough for that extra softness and crispness from the starch. Was sceptical about this recipe. I added 5T softened butter and spread it on the rectangle of rolled out dough before adding sugar/cinnamon, also doubled sugar cinnamon. I did like the result, but also was not impressed by the fondant glaze. I'm a fan of cream cheese frosting on cinnamon rolls. Am excited to try middle class brioche as the base for cinnamon rolls. They turned out well, didn't last 24 hours (have 6 adults and a toddler in the house) and I would make them again.
    Reply

  17. Frieda says

    Lovely...I loved the hand print and your 'signature' cinnamon/sugar step! I loved making the sticky buns, but they made a mess on my oven floor...be forewarned! Thanks for starting such a fun challenge! The cinnamon raisin bread was exceptional! Stop by my blog and see the photos...
    Reply

  19. Jon T. says

    Nicole, these are very lovely. When I make the fondant icing, I use orange extract. Folks like the hint of citrus when they bite into them!
    Reply

  20. Jon T. says

    One other tip--you can double Peter's recipe and it will fit into a 6-quart Kitchen Aid Bowl. I always double the recipe when I bake these for the folks at work. They eat them right up!
    Reply

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