Cinnamon buns are universally adored for their irresistible taste, yet like most patisserie goods, many people avoid making them at home. Whether it’s anxiety about botching the dough or simply a lack of ingredients to create these cloud-like snacks, cinnamon buns aren’t a staple in every household’s baking collection, unlike other classics, such as a Victoria sponge. Fortunately, Buns of Joy (@bunsofjoy on Instagram) is a craft small-batch bakery that provides fresh, house-made cinnamon buns for occasions when preparing them at home isn’t feasible.
However, its founder, Leah Waring, a fourth-generation baker who has devoted her life to mastering her family’s bakery enterprise in Reading, has revealed her baking expertise with those eager to attempt a simple cinnamon bun recipe. She said, “Buns of Joy is an artisan batch bakery. We love baking: fresh home-made pillowy dough and perfectly mixed cinnamon spice; preparing the icing just right so it melts in the mouth.” Leah divulged her baking secrets, which included a very simple tip that transforms the texture of the buns.
How to make cinnamon buns
There are three key elements in cinnamon buns: the dough, the sugar mixture, and the crucial frosting.
Like every recipe, a strong foundation is essential to the end product; yet, many individuals are unaware that the dough requires enrichment.
Leah explained: “Enriched dough – full of butter, milk and egg, gives the dough a pillowy texture when baked and keeps them softer for longer, if they last that long.”
Perfecting the texture comes down to proper technique, so the Buns of Joy founder emphasised kneading the dough until it forms a lovely, firm, smooth ball.
Once your dough is prepared, leave it in a bowl covered with a damp tea towel and refrigerate it for a “cold, slow prove”.
Leah recommended mixing brown sugar, melted butter, and top-quality organic cinnamon for the filling. “My personal favourite is Ceylon cinnamon, which is lighter and sweeter. It’s just delicious,” she said.
Apply a pastry brush to coat the melted butter over the exterior of the spiralled length of dough, then slice them using a sharp, non-serrated knife, being careful not to crush them as you cut.
Baking the buns requires specific cooking tools to prevent undoing all your efforts, but you probably already have them in your kitchen.
The founder of Buns of Joy said. “Place your buns in a ceramic baking dish as the thicker sides will keep your buns from developing too much of a hard crust.”
When preparing the icing, using top-notch cream cheese and vanilla will make all the difference. Leah disclosed, “I recommend using vanilla bean paste or pods. Wait until the buns are completely cooled and spread on the vanilla cream cheese frosting!
“If you have left the next day, warm them slightly to bring them back to a fluffy, squidgy bun.”