Easy Cinnamon Buns…Really!

Recipe: Easy Cinnamon Buns

Summary: A delicious cinnamon and pecan roll made without yeast or rising time

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the entire recipe

• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5-1/4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1-3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt

Dough

• 2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12-1/2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Glaze

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature
• 3-4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preparation Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan.
2. Mix filling ingredients in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
4. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in small bowl.
5. Add liquid to flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed and just combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 5 minutes. (This dough is a bit sticky…I rubbed just a bit of butter on my granite and my hands before starting the kneading)
6. Roll dough into approximately a 12 by 10-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving 1/2-inch border of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough.
7. Using bench scraper, loosen dough from work surface. Starting at long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal.
8. Roll log seam-side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. Turn pieces onto it’s side so spiral pattern faces up.
9. Place one roll in center of prepared nonstick pan round 9″ pan, then place remaining seven rolls around perimeter of pan. Or position as I did in a 9″ square pan with three rolls on each outside edge and two of them in the middle.
10. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25-28 minutes. Cool buns in pan for 5 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating.
11. Place plate on top and invert buns onto plate. Place serving plate on the now inverted buns and flip it over, so it’s right-side up. Continue to cool for 5 minutes before icing.
12. While buns are cooling, whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in small bowl until thick and smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Drizzle glaze evenly over buns; serve while warm or at room temperature.