Man oh man, are we enjoying this air conditioning! I've been wallowing in all the activities I love to do that in the past had to be set aside for more appropriate weather. Things like seeking relief inside after a hot workout in the garden (see the lemon thyme I planted from seed), knitting to my heart's content (kitty slippers, more on this later), and baking.
Imagine baking in the dead of summer! What a life changing concept, I'm completely ruined. Anyway, as promised here is the recipe for the scratch cinnamon buns from the last post. I really like these buns because they are not too sweet but rather exactly right for my taste. This is a mixed blessing because although they do taste terrific, you never really get sick of them so you end up eating a whole lot more than you probably should...
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Scratch Cinnamon Buns
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Yield: 12 buns
Total time: 1.5 hrs
Ingredients
2 cups white flour, plus 1 cup
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 1/4 cups warm water
Filling
3 tbsp soft butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Let's Bake!
In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and oil, and stir well. Dough should be wet. Add more flour, a little at a time, until dough is just barely dry but very soft. Heavily flour a board and turn out dough. Knead for a few minutes while adding flour if needed. The dough should be very soft, but dry. Oil the bowl and place the dough inside. Squish the dough down and turn it over. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F. Punch down the dough and press it out into a rectangle onto a your board, approximately 14" x 11". Spread with 2 - 3 tablespoons of soft butter to within 1" of the edge. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up tightly and cut evenly into 12 buns with a serrated knife. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ensuring good spacing. Bake at 375F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan while still warm. Serve with cream cheese icing or extra butter.
xoxox