Cinnamon buns are widely loved for their delectable flavour, but like most bakery items, many Britons shy away from making them at home.
From the fear of getting the dough wrong or simply being short on ingredients to whip up these pillow-soft sweet treats, cinnamon buns aren’t a staple in everyone’s home baking repertoire.
Thankfully, Buns of Joy (@bunsofjoy on Instagram) is an artisan batch bakery that sells fresh, homemade cinnamon buns for those times when making them at home is not possible.
But its founder, Leah Waring, a fourth-generation baker who has spent a lifetime learning her family’s bakery business in Reading, has shared her baking wisdom with those willing to try an easy cinnamon bun recipe.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, 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.”
How to make cinnamon buns
There are three major components in cinnamon buns – the dough, sugar paste and all-important frosting.
As with every recipe, a solid base is crucial to the final result, but many people don’t know that the dough must be enriched.
Leah said: “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.”
Mastering the texture is down to technique, so the Buns of Joy founder urged you to knead the dough until it comes together in a nice, firm, smooth ball.
When your dough is ready, leave it in a bow covered with a damp cloth and place it in the fridge for a “cold, slow prove.”
Leah urged combining brown sugar, melted butter, and good-quality organic cinnamon for the filling. “My personal favourite is Ceylon cinnamon, which is lighter and sweeter. It’s just delicious,” she said.
Use a pastry brush to glaze the melted butter over the outside of the swirled length of the dough, then cut them using a sharp, non-serrated knife, taking care not to squash them as you cut.
Cooking the buns should be done using specific equipment to avoid erasing all your hard work, said the Buns of Joy founder: “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 creating the frosting, using good-quality cream cheese and vanilla will make a difference. Leah revealed, “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.”
