I love cinnamon buns. I dont really eat it often but it is one of those bread I would choose when I see. Yet the ones bought from outside seemed to lack something. The main thing is most are soggy by the time you bite into it. Not like those freshly baked ones. Not sure if its meant to be so.
So one day some weeks ago, when I saw and bought spice (paprika powder and cinnamon powder), I committed myself to try and make cinnamon buns from scratch. From the internet, I looked around for the recipes. Settled on 2 recipes, copied them down on paper (no printer) and compared them. One has fewer ingredients and also made much fewer portions 12-15 whereas the other had many more ingredients (definitely better tasting from so much more ingredients) but make into 24 servings. How is my family of 3 going to finish all that? Hence I chose to try out the easier one.
Tried it out on Tuesday. Cos got many things happening in my family and got distracted and busy with settling stuff. Some days too lazy or tired. The day before, I headed out to buy the ingredients, flour, yeast, sugar, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract and butter. Had already bought the cinnamon powder. Then I am set. Using milk and an egg from the fridge.
It was interesting to be able to mix the ingredients into something that resembled dough. Yellow dough. But too sticky so I slowly added more flour until it became something more manageable. Then I dont have a clean surface to work on, so an idea struck me, I used the baking tray as the flat surface. Floured it and knead the dough like on TV cooking shows for 10mins. Good exercise, I should use my left hand more but being right-handed. Just purely right. Then got to rest the dough. Meaning, you leave it in a bowl preferable near somewhere a bit warm to let the yeast work. When the yeast ingest the sugars, they release gas which raises the dough and makes it swell up to twice its size at least. So for that 1 hour, I went to the living room and watched one episode of recorded show.
One hour later, I went to knead the dough a bit to flatten. It did rise up though not to twice the size. I put the shrink wrap on the table to try to create a clean surface but it didnt work so well. So I decided to use the baking pan again. Divided up the dough to two portions, I rolled and flatten one using the rectangular baking tray as the guide. Applied generous amounts of butter and a mixture of sugar and cinnamon powder. (With hind sight, more cinnamon, less sugar or use confectioner's sugar might be better) Rolled into a big roll and cut 1.5 - 2 inches width. Repeated with the other and put them into the baking pan. But they kinda looked squished up and my mom was telling me, might turn out hard, cos they dont have place to expand. Will put in the baking tray next time round.
So I have to set it aside again, 45mins to an hour, to let the cinnamon rolls raise again. That meant another episode of recorded cable TV. 20mins before, I preheated the oven and mixed the glazing. (Think less butter and confectioner's sugar) After the time, noticed that the space between (which wasnt much) pieces were nil and put into the oven to bake. 30mins is enough but I checked every 10mins. Took out for them to cool and I had to cut to pull out the pieces from the tight baking pan. Next time must let them have lots more space to expand or maybe consider two batches to bake. Applied the glazing after they have cooled some.
The taste is pretty good, except I think I overdid the glazing. Chewy on the outside, soft on the inside. Some of the sugar inside didnt melt, so can chew into sugar grains. That can be improved upon with confectioner's sugar instead. I ate two and the next day two. Gave 3 to my sis, other sis ate 1, mom ate 3, she gave 3 to her friends in the market (otherwise how to finish) and viola, all gone.
Later I went online to look for more bread recipes for those that I like to eat, like pita bread, own pizza dough etc. Dont mind trying out and making own pizza.
And just now, I came across the Youtube video for a Giant Cookie for one. Great and super easy from the videos. I am so amped up to try to make but I still need to space the cooking out so that we all dont end up gaining weight from eating all these and secondly, my mom needs the kitchen during some days, especially this coming weekend. So I will leave the single-serving Giant Cookie to the next week. Can use the time to get the ingredients I lack. At the back of my mind are the Cinnamon cookie and Peanut Butter Jelly cookie. Yummy.
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