How to make laminated Cinnamon Buns

Basically they're like sugar coated, buttery, rolled cinnamon croissants

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Glorious in their buttery richness, tight spirals of neatly rolled golden laminated croissant dough that with a twist of the fingers pull apart in a roughly torn spiral, the centre prised inside out, cracking as it’s squeezed between the fingertips, falling flakes of brittle sugar-encrusted dough, soft with cinnamon sticking to the corners of your mouth as you bite, likely missing the napkin as they fall, rolling down your jumper and into your lap or the waiting mouth of your dog as they knowingly sit, primed by the smell of the butter.

One whole day to make from beginning to end, with much patience involved waiting for the dough to chill, with the rigid sticking to rules to ensure success, so if you are one that takes pleasure in defiance, then as much as I admire bravado, in this instance then you must obey the technique, or your buns will fall far short of expectation and your day will be not exactly wasted, but let down most likely by impatience.

I do not claim to be an expert in the making of cinnamon buns, though these are very nice. I use three different techniques with buns for contrasting results to suit the occasion. Some are doughy like brioche, baked in a block of nine, iced with cream cheese and torn apart by hungry fingers, others are firm, knotted and plaited and filled with freshly ground cardamom, juicy and fragrant from the hit from the pulverised pods, like the ones Magnus Nilsson makes and then there are the ones here that are crisp, caramelised, golden and brittle to the exterior but light and layered inside. A good bakery charges about five pounds for one like this.

Crisp, warm and coated with cinnamon sugar

In England, we have Gail’s. A very fine baker’s shop you’ll most likely agree if you know of it. Apologies if they’re elsewhere in the world. These are the buns that they sell on their counters, or at least they are so very close and if I’m honest I think they might be better.

If I feel so inclined I add adornments at the rolling up stage, pistachios, sultanas and chopped walnuts are all fine, though these can happily be left out, concentrating on solely the butter, sugar and spices.

Filled with sultanas and pistachios

This is not a task to be undertaken if you are in a temper. You will need time, patience and the mindset to be unflappable. If your day has started badly, perhaps go for a walk and save this for another day. Wiser perhaps to go and buy a cinnamon bun if you feel that the world is against you. If however, you are happy to proceed, you will be well rewarded at the end of the day. Have friends on standby with warm drinks, or eat them all yourself and tell no one.

I could tell you that you could freeze them prior to baking, as you may have too many to eat at once, and you certainly could do this before the final proving, but left to me I’d try to find a lonely soul to cheer up with one or two, or indeed perhaps a neighbour who might be in need of some warm cinnamon therapy.

Sticky

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Cinnamon buns, like the ones from Gail’s Bakery

Here is my recipe. It works, is relatively straightforward (if you like baking) and will amaze both you and your loved ones.