THE BEST NO-KNEAD CINNAMON BUN/CINNABON RECIPE

Mar 17, 2018
3 min read

makes 9 rolls

BUNS

1 CUP + 2 TABLESPOONS + 1 TEASPOON MILK
1 TEASPOON ACTIVE DRY YEAST
2 1/4 CUPS BREAD FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1/4 CUP SUGAR
2 TABLESPOONS + 2 TEASPOONS BUTTER
1 ROOM TEMPERATURE EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN

FILLING

1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR, PACKED
2 TABLESPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
1 TABLESPOON FLOUR
1/4 CUP BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

FROSTING

4 OUNCES WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE (ABOUT A CUP)
2 TABLESPOONS ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER
1/4 CUP SUGAR

Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool. Mix together the milk and yeast and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the bread flour, salt and sugar. By now the butter should be cool – add it to the milk and whisk. Add the beaten egg and make sure everything is mixed together throughly.

Add the milk mixture to the flour and stir until everything comes together in a fairly wet dough. Cover with saran wrap and proof for 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Set aside. Line a 8-inch pan with parchment paper.

After 2 hours, the dough should have doubled in sized. I like to work my dough on parchment paper as it makes it easier to pick up the edge of the dough when rolling. If you are going to work on parchment paper, be sure to tape it down so it doesn’t move while you’re rolling. Generously flour your workspace and hands. Scrape the dough out onto the floured workspace and dust with flour. The dough will be very soft and quite sticky so if you need to dust it, go ahead and dust generously.

Roll out the dough to a 14 x 20″ rectangle. Spread the 1/4 cup of room temperature butter out evenly over the dough and then evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar-flour mixture. Roll the dough up, starting at a short edge. Cut into 9 equal pieces and place in your prepared pan. Cover with saran wrap and proof for 1 hour.

At this point, you can hold the buns in the fridge if needed. I did just that as I had to run out and do some errands. I returned to bake them after 2 hours, but if you’d like to prepare them the night before and bake them off in the morning that would work too.

To bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the buns from the fridge as the oven is heating up. Bake for 30-35 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the frosting. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Set aside in the fridge.

When the buns are done, the tops should be golden brown and a skewer poked through should come out clean. Frost immediately for the Cinnabon look. Let cool slightly and enjoy warm.

A FEW NOTES:

This dough is extremely soft and sticky due to it’s 69% hydration. While drier doughs are easier to handle, this dough yields a supremely soft bun with a delicate crumb. I think it’s well worth the stickiness!

I like using whipped cream cheese for frostings because, well, it’s already whipped which makes it super easy. With whipped cream cheese you don’t get any of those annoying bits of cream cheese in your frosting, just super smooth creaminess.

These keep in the fridge for up to a week, covered. If anything the taste better as they age, but be sure to microwave them a bit before eating though – 20 seconds ought to do it!