This is one of my favourite recipes. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than a warm cinnamon bun with a cup of tea. Not to mention how the bread and cinnamon make the kitchen smell so warm and inviting.

This recipe uses a basic sweet dough. Although I’m making cinnamon buns today, it is easily altered to make chelsea buns. Later in the year I will also show you how to use this same dough recipe to make fruit tea loaf, hot cross buns and even doughnuts. Its a great, basic recipe.

Ingredients

 

For the dough:

½ sachet dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

4 tablespoons of warm water

8 oz plain flour

¼ tsp of salt

1 oz caster sugar

2 oz margarine ( as this recipe rubs in the fat, I would recommend stork)

1 egg beaten

For the filling:

A little melted margarine

1 oz caster sugar

2 tsp of ground cinnamon

For the Icing:

A little boiled water

Icing sugar added 1 tsp at a time to form a thin, runny icing.

 

Method

I always start my yeast off before making the dough. Add the tsp of sugar into the warm water till it has dissolved. Then add the yeast, give it a quick mix, then leave it for 10-15mins until the yeast has created a foam on the top of the liquid. If there is no foam, your yeast is inactive. It may be out of date or have been stored incorrectly. If it has a good foam its ready to make dough with.

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and rub in the margarine

Add the yeast liquid and the egg to the flour mix. Work it together to form a wet, sticky dough.

Knead the dough for about 10 mins until you can perform the window test. This is when you hold the dough up and pull it out. It should have enough elasticity built up in it, to be able to go thin enough to see light through, without breaking.

Leave the dough in a warm place for 45-60 mins until doubled in size. If you have a proofing drawer, you can use that. I like to put mine in the airing cupboard, next to the hot water tank. Below is a before and after.

Once, risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead again lightly. then roll out to form an oblong shape.

Melt a little margarine and brush it over the surface of the dough with a pastry brush.

Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the melted butter. (If you are wanting to make chelsea buns, at this stage sprinkle with 1 oz of sugar and 3 oz of currents or sultanas)

Roll the dough up, like a swiss roll and cut into slices approx. 1 inch thick.

Place in a round baking tin next to each other and cover. Leave in a warm place again for a second prove. This should take about 15 mins. Again I have given you an idea of what they should look like before, and after.

Bake in the oven at 200°C for 15mins

Once removed, make a thin icing with boiled water and some icing sugar and spatter it across the buns.

The end result should be a light and airy sweet dough like the picture below

I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I do. Let em know how you get on in the comments below.