1815 Pure: Golden Cinnamon Buns with Creamy Icing

Method

Cinnamon Bun Dough Ingredients: 100g unsalted butter, 200ml milk, 135g granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. Active or fast-action yeast, 2 free-range eggs, 500g all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting, 2 tsp. vegetable or olive oil, for greasing, 1/2 tsp. table salt.

1. In a saucepan heat the 200ml milk, 1/2 tsp. salt and 100g butter until the butter has melted and the ingredients are mixed. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool until lukewarm.
2. Take a large mixing bowl and add the 500g flour, 1 1/2 tsp. yeast and 135g sugar, and mix until it is all combined. With your fingers, make a small hole in the centre of the mixture, crack in the eggs, pour in the lukewarm butter mix and stir everything together to form a dough. As the dough becomes stiffer, you may need to use your hands; notice how the dough feels on your fingers as you bring it all together.
3. Next, you will need to prepare your work surface. Add a teaspoon or two of Olive or Vegetable oil to your surface to grease it, and place your dough from the mixing bowl into the centre. Knead the dough for six to eight minutes until the dough becomes less sticky and more elastic in texture. If your dough needs a helping hand, add a dusting of flour to the mix.
4. Shape your dough into a ball, and place it into a large greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow the dough to rise in a moderately warm environment for two to four hours or until it has doubled in size. The kitchen side is a perfect place for this process. If you've got stone kitchen surfaces, place the bowl on top of a wooden chopping board to help the process along. If you're preparing this for the following day, leave the mixture in the fridge overnight, ready to take out the next day.

While the dough is proving, you can get to work on the filling for the cinnamon buns.

Cinnamon Bun Filling Ingredients: 80g unsalted butter, 100g brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan or Gas Mark 6.
2. Mix 80g softened butter, with 100g brown sugar and two teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Use a fork to help bring the ingredients together. This is the filling for your cinnamon rolls.
3. When the dough has risen, remove from the mixing bowl and place it onto a floured work surface, gently press down the dough to release the air and then roll it out into a large rectangle roughly the size of a medium roasting tray (34cm x 24cm). Ensure that the dough is smooth and of the same thickness throughout.
4. It's time to spread your cinnamon filling. Spread the filling evenly over the dough with a butter knife or the back of a tablespoon. Take your time and enjoy the process and sensations of spreading the filling over the dough.
5. Once covered, roll over the end of your dough and start to roll it lengthways until you have a sausage-shaped piece. Carefully cut it into 12 even slices. Place each slice of cinnamon roll into a greased muffin tray. Cover with a tea towel or tin foil and allow to prove again for 45-60 minutes, or until risen. If you don't have a muffin tray, foil pie dishes are a good alternative for your individual slices.
6. Place into the centre of the oven and bake for 12-18 minutes or until the cinnamon buns are golden brown.

While your buns are baking, you can either sit back and take a moment for yourself or work on the icing if you want to make them super indulgent.

Cinnamon Bun Icing Ingredients: 400g confectioners sugar, 2 tsp. unsalted butter, 2 tsp. Vanilla extract, 100ml double cream.

1. Melt 2 tsp. of unsalted butter in a saucepan on the hob.
2. Once melted, remove from the heat and combine the melted butter with the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and double cream in a mixing bowl; mix until smooth and free from lumps and bubbles.
3. This is your icing topping, and it is now ready to be poured over the warm cinnamon buns, leaving you plenty of time to relax as you wait for them to cook.
4. Remove the cinnamon buns from the oven, and allow them to cool slightly. Pour the icing generously over the buns and enjoy with a warm coffee or a pot of tea.