Mama Baker

Yesterday I decided I must bake something. I was sick for the past few days and knew that baking was the cure to get me out of my woes. And I don’t know about you but cinnamon buns always turn my frown upside down especially brioche cinnamon buns.

I am really surprised that I chose to make cinnamon buns because they take such a long time to make. Anyway, while I was letting the dough sit for the first time I realized I had no butter left! How can I have no butter left?! So I bundled up the baby, put her in the stroller and braced the outdoors. Now, it is always risky to go outside during the fall/winter of Coastal British Columbia– you never know if it is going to rain.  Sure enough it I got caught walking in the wind and rain.

But in the end, it was all worth it to have my yummy warm cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing.  It is heaven in bun.

Recipe for Brioche adapted from Silver Palate Cook Book

Ingredients for Brioche

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour I used bread flour
• 2 – 3 tbs vegetable oil

Ingredients for Cinnamon filling

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup golden sugar
• 2 1/2 tbs cinnamon

Ingredients for Cream Cheese icing

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tbs milk
• 2 cup icing sugar

Preparing Brioche
In a saucepan combine milk, butter, and sugar– bring to a boil. Remove from heat source and transfer into a mixing bowl. Let cool to about 105 – 115 degrees)

Stir in the active yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt. In a small bowl beat the eggs and then add them to the milk mixture. Stir in 7 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, until you achieve a sticky dough. Flour a work surgace and turn the dough out onto it. Wash and dry the bowl.

Sprinkle additional flour over the dough and begin to knead it, adding more flour when needed until a smooth, elastic dough is achieved (about 10 minutes).

Pour 2 to 3 tbs of vegetable oil into the mixing bowl. Turn the dough in the oil to coat it well. Set the dough aside, cover with a damp towl and let it triple in bulk (about 2 hours).

Punch the dough down and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead for about two minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise again until doubled (about 45 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the brioche to form a large rectangle. Cover with softened butter.

In a small bowl add sugar and cinnamon together–blend well.

Liberally sprinkle sugar mixture on top of the brioche making sure all the dough is covered.

Roll up brioche so it forms a cylinder shape. Make about twelve cuts and place cinnamon buns on an buttered pan or in jumbo muffin tins. Let rise for till double (I didn’t do this step and mine turned out great).

Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Ice cinnamon buns right when they come out of the oven so that the icing seeps down into the cracks of them — this really makes them divine!

Prepare icing
Beat cream cheese with milk until smooth. Add icing sugar one cup at a time. If you like a sweeter icing you can add some more icing sugar but my hubs and I really like to keep the taste of cream cheese in tacked.