Morning Buns

Why this recipe works Unlike cinnamon buns, the filling of which is tucked within an enriched bread dough, morning buns typically start as croissants. A buttery, flaky croissant rolled up with cinnamon sugar? We couldn’t think of a reason not to make them—except for the amount of work they required. For an easier path to a sweet breakfast, we thought of the technique used for “blitz,” or quick, puff pastry; instead of laminating layers of butter between layers of dough, we cut up the butter, combine it with the flour, and incorporate it with a rolling pin. To adapt this for a flavorful, yeasted, croissant-like pastry, we simply added a packet of yeast, plus a little sugar, to the dough and let the buns rise before baking them. The technique made pastries with many layers, but it also made a mess. To contain the process, we sealed quarter-inch butter slices in a zipper-lock bag with the dry ingredients and then rolled everything right in the bag. Incorporating sour cream into the dough made it more supple and easy to roll, and provided richness without greasiness. A blend of brown and white sugar gave the filling a subtle molasses flavor; orange zest contributed a lovely floral aroma. And we liked the hint of citrus in the filling so much that we exchanged some of the water in the dough with orange juice. If the dough becomes too soft to work with at any point, refrigerate it until it’s firm enough to easily handle.

MAKES: 12 buns

RISING TIME: 1 to 1½ hours

BAKING TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3 to 3½ hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: rolling pin, rimmed baking sheet, 12-cup muffin tin

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH

• 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 24 tablespoons (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch slices and chilled
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream, chilled
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) orange juice, chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1 large egg yolk

FOR THE FILLING

• ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add butter to the bag, seal it, and shake to coat the butter. Press the air out of the bag and reseal it. Roll over the bag several times with a rolling pin, shaking the bag after each roll, until the butter is pressed into large flakes.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in sour cream, orange juice, ice water, and egg yolk using a wooden spoon until combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball for about 30 seconds.
3. Press and roll the dough into a 20 by 12-inch rectangle, with the short side parallel to the edge of the counter. Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go.
4. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Transfer it to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, cover it loosely with greased plastic wrap, and freeze it for 15 minutes.
5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners and spray them with vegetable oil spray. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and roll it into a 20 by 12-inch rectangle, with the long side parallel to the edge of the counter. Sprinkle the dough with the sugar mixture, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges, and press lightly to adhere.
7. Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch the seam closed, then reshape the cylinder as needed to be 20 inches in length with a uniform thickness.
8. Using a serrated knife, trim ½ inch of dough from each end and discard. Cut the cylinder into 12 pieces and place them cut side up in the muffin cups. Cover them loosely with greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled in size, for 1 to 1½ hours. (Unrisen buns can be refrigerated for at least 16 hours or up to 24 hours; let the buns sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
9. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the buns until they begin to rise, for about 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Continue to bake until the buns are deep golden brown, for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the muffin tin halfway through baking.
10. Let the buns cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and discard the liners. Serve the buns warm.