Ultimate Cinnamon Buns

Why this recipe works Sweet, gooey, softball-size cinnamon buns are worth every calorie. We set our sights on a mammoth breed of cinnamon bun, distinguished from its leaner, more diminutive cousins by its size, yes, but also by the richness of the soft, buttery yeasted dough, the abundance of the filling, and the thickness of the tangy cream cheese glaze. We wanted a soft, tender, brioche-like dough for the base of our buns. We began our testing using all-purpose flour but wondered whether swapping in cake flour might bring us closer to our ideal. Buns made with cake flour, however, just didn’t have enough structure; they came out heavy and squat. A common substitute for cake flour is all-purpose flour cut with cornstarch, so we tried adding a small amount of cornstarch to the all-purpose flour—but not as much as we would use to approximate cake flour. This new blend, with a protein content somewhere between that of all-purpose flour and cake flour, gave us a soft dough that held its shape once baked. For a filling with deep caramel flavor, we combined a generous amount of cinnamon with brown sugar rather than flatter-tasting white sugar. Spreading softened butter over the dough before sprinkling it with the cinnamon sugar and rolling it up kept the sugar mixture from spilling out. Baked together, the butter and cinnamon sugar turned into a rich, gooey filling. Finally, no cinnamon bun could be called “ultimate” without a thick spread of icing. We topped the buns with a tangy glaze of cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and milk. We do not recommend mixing this dough by hand.

MAKES: 8 buns

RISING TIME: 3 to 3½ hours

BAKING TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 5 to 5½ hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, 13 by 9-inch baking pan, rolling pin

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH

• 4¼ cups (21¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (2 ounces) cornstarch
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

FOR THE FILLING

• 1½ cups packed (10½ ounces) light brown sugar
• 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

FOR THE GLAZE

• 1½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, cornstarch, yeast, and salt.
2. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, eggs, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Increase the speed to medium-low and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while kneading until the butter is fully incorporated, about 6 minutes. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, for about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, for 2 to 2½ hours.
6. Create a foil sling for a 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil. The first sheet should be 13 inches wide, and the second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay the sheets of foil in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push the foil into the corners and up the sides of the pan, smoothing it flush to the pan, and then spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
7. For the filling, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Press down on the dough to deflate it, then transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Press and roll the dough into an 18-inch square. Spread butter over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture, leaving a ¾-inch border at the top edge, and press lightly to adhere.
8. 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 18 inches in length with a uniform thickness. Using a serrated knife, cut the cylinder into 8 pieces and arrange them cut side down in the prepared pan.
9. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Unrisen buns can be refrigerated for at least 16 hours or up to 1 day; let the buns sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
10. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the buns until they are golden brown and the filling is melted, for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through baking.
11. For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Top the buns with ½ cup of the glaze and let them cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Using the foil overhang, transfer the buns to a wire rack and top them with the remaining glaze. Serve the buns warm.