how do i make cinnamon buns

Making soft, bakery-style cinnamon buns at home comes down to a rich, yeasted dough swirled with spiced brown sugar and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting. I’ve gathered some popular recipes from the web, or you can follow the classic homemade recipe below.

Classic Soft Cinnamon Buns

• Prep time. 30 minutes (plus about 2.5 hours rising time).
• Bake time. 20 to 25 minutes.
• Yield. 12 rolls.
• Difficulty. Intermediate.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Bread flour. 4 ½ cups (or all-purpose flour for a slightly less chewy texture).
• Whole milk. 1 cup, warmed to about 110°F.
• Instant or active dry yeast. 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 standard packet).
• Granulated sugar. ½ cup.
• Unsalted butter. 6 tablespoons, melted and slightly cooled.
• Eggs. 2 large, at room temperature.
• Kosher salt. 1 ¾ teaspoons.

For the Filling

• Dark brown sugar. 1 cup, packed.
• Unsalted butter. ½ cup (1 stick), softened to room temperature.
• Ground cinnamon. 2 tablespoons.
• Kosher salt. ½ teaspoon.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese. 4 ounces, softened to room temperature.
• Unsalted butter. 2 tablespoons, softened to room temperature.
• Powdered sugar. 1 ½ cups.
• Vanilla extract. ½ teaspoon.
• Kosher salt. ⅛ teaspoon.

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of the granulated sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough. Add the remaining granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, flour, and salt. Knead with a dough hook on medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes (or by hand on a floured surface) until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
3. First rise. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
4. Roll and fill. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×24-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Shape and slice. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Slice into 12 even rolls using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss.
6. Second rise. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for another 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy and touching each other.
7. Bake. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through in the center.
8. Frost and serve. While the buns cool slightly, beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread the frosting over the warm buns so it melts into the swirls.

Pro Tips & Variations

• Overnight make-ahead. After slicing and placing the rolls in the baking pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Take them out the next morning to warm up and rise at room temperature for about 1.5 hours before baking.
• Clean cuts with dental floss. Slide a piece of unflavored floss under the dough log, cross the ends over the top, and pull straight through to slice without squishing the spirals.
• Heavy cream trick. Pour ½ cup of warm heavy cream over the risen rolls right before baking for an extra gooey, bakery-style center.