Fluffy cinnamon bun with frosting on a plate.

These right here, friends, are the only Cinnamon Buns you will ever eat again. They are perfectly fluffy, gooey, cinnamon-y and oh, so delicious. I have made many cinnamon buns over the years – some have been good, some have even been close to great. But these are epic. And you need them in your life.

What you’ll need to make (the only) Cinnamon Buns (you will ever eat again)

This is what you’ll need to make the best cinnamon buns you have ever tasted. There are no tricks here. Just grab these simple and accessible ingredients and prepare to be amazed.

Yeast

This recipe calls for Fleishmann’s Rapid Rise, instant yeast. Don’t mess with a good thing. If you can’t find this particular brand, make sure you are using an “instant” or “fast-acting” type of yeast, and check the package to see what temperature your milk needs to be in order to activate the yeast. This is a crucial step to ensuring fluffy awesomeness.

Milk

Use 2% or whole milk for best results. Your milk needs to be warm enough to activate the yeast. For Fleishmann’s Rapid Rise, instant yeast, heat your milk to 120-130 degrees F. This takes about a 45-second stint in my microwave, but every microwave differs.

Eggs

Incorporating eggs and yolks into this yeasted dough imparts a depth of flavour and builds the perfect structure for these delicious and indulgent treats. Two eggs plus two yolks provides the perfect balance. It’s not rocket science, but there is definitely science behind the addition of the extra yolks – don’t skip this step! The yolks help to shorten the gluten strands in the dough, resulting in a more tender crumb and softer, fluffier bun. And who doesn’t love a soft and fluffy bun?

Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. To bring your eggs to room temperature in a hurry, set them in a bowl of hot water for a minute or so before cracking.

Butter

Butter makes everything better – especially these Cinnamon Buns. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before incorporating into the dough.

Mixing the Dough

When mixing the dough, let your stand-mixer and dough hook attachment do the work for you. You can knead this dough by hand, but if you have a mixer, I say leave the arm workout for the gym this time around. Mix the dough until it’s juuuust right, meaning that it pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and is tacky, but not sticky, to the touch. If you find that your dough is quite sticky after a few minutes of mixing, add up to a tablespoon of flour (1 teaspoon at a time).

Stop mixing when you have hit that sweet spot. If you over-mix the dough, you’ll be left with a tough cinnamon bun. If you under-mix it, you will miss out on the chewy texture that makes these buns the only cinnamon buns you will ever eat again. Ten minutes on medium speed does the trick.

The Rise

This sweet, yeasted dough needs to rise, twice. Yes, patience is a virtue. And you will be rewarded, I guarantee.

The first rise happens immediately after you make the dough. Most recipes call for the dough to “double in size”. I don’t know about you, but I’m never able to ball-park the “doubling in size” thing. I go with the visual cue of inflated, puffy and expanded. This happens after about a 2-hour rest in your home-made proofing oven. And then you will be ready to roll (literally).

Homemade “Proofing Oven”

So what’s the trick to the perfectly fluffy Cinnamon Bun? Let the dough rise in your oven (with the heat off, the oven light on, and some hot water thrown in for good measure), creating your very own proofing oven! This quick and easy trick yields the perfect bun every, single, time. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and place it on the middle oven rack. Next, place an empty pan on the bottom rack. Carefully pour about 2 to 3 cups of boiling water into the empty pan and quickly shut the oven door. Step back and prepare to be amazed by the awesome science that is about the unfold.

Rolling Out

When the first rise is done – and your dough is nice and puffy – gently turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and stretch it into a roughly-shaped square. I find it best to place the dough top-side down on the countertop. The top-side will be “dry” and less tacky than the bottom side of the dough that has been in contact with the bowl during the first rise.

Lightly flour your rolling pin (and not the topside of the dough), and roll the dough into a 18-inch square. Square off the corners by gently stretching them outward once the dough is roughly 18 inches long by 18 inches wide. The dough should be quite pliable and won’t require much elbow grease. Ease into it to retain the “fluffy” in these fluffy buns.

The Filling

Once your dough has been gently rolled into an 18-inch square, it’s time to add the gooey – the technical term for the most delicious sugar-cinnamon filling ever.

Butter

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. And I will continue to say it..butter makes everything better. And soft, spreadable butter is your friend here. You want to spread the butter evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving only an 1/8th inch border around three edges and a 1/4-inch border around the far edge (this is the edge that you will use to pinch and seal the seam closed once the dough has been rolled into a log). Some recipes call for leaving a 1/2-inch border all around, but that will just mean that two of your cinnamon buns will be ruined. And we aren’t in the business of ruining a good thing, right? Right.

Cinnamon

These are CINNAMON buns, so don’t skimp here. Two tablespoons of cinnamon may sound like a lot, but I promise you – it’s the perfect amount for these perfect buns.

Brown Sugar

Dark brown sugar adds the “delicious” to these delicious buns. The higher molasses content in dark brown sugar versus light brown sugar adds a deep, more complex and caramel-y flavour that will knock your socks off. Trust me on this…

Rolling Up

Once you have added your filling, it’s time to roll’er-up. Starting with the edge that’s closest to you (and with the 1/4-inch border farthest away from you), roll the square up into a tight log. Do your best to roll it up as tightly as possible. This will help the rolls hold their shape while baking, and will maximize the many layers of awesomeness.

Cutting

Hands using dental floss to cut up cinnamon bun dough.

My knives are dull. It’s just one of those things. I have invested in many knife sharpeners and honing rods, but they are consistently and constantly dull. If you are in the same boat as me, fear not. You do NOT need a sharp knife to cut cinnamon buns. The most efficient and effective way to cut your cinnamon buns once you have rolled up your dough is to use dental floss. Yes, you heard that right. Just slip a piece of dental floss under the log, criss-cross it around the dough and cut through the cinnamon buns without squishing your perfectly perfect dough. Once the log has been cut into 12 even pieces (about 1.5 inches each), arrange them cut-side up in a prepared 13 by 9 inch metal baking pan. Tightly cover the pan with plastic wrap.

Second Rise

Before baking, these buns need their final beauty rest. A second rise of about an hour does the trick. After about 30 minutes in your “proofing oven”, remove the pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Set the pan in a warm, draft-free spot for the final 30 minutes of the second rise.

Bake Time

Bake until your buns are a deep golden brown, with an internal temperature of between 190 to 200 degrees F (about 30 to 35 minutes). If you don’t have a digital thermometer, buy one! While you’re waiting for it to be delivered, test to see if your buns are done by pressing the top of the centre bun – it should bounce back when poked. If you find that the top of the buns are browning too quickly, cover the pan loosely with tin foil and continue baking.

Icing on the Bun

Spoon of frosting on top of rows of cinnamon buns.

While your cinnamon buns are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. With a rubber spatula, combine the frosting ingredients together in a medium bowl. Once combined, whisk until smooth. As soon as your cinnamon buns come out of the oven, top with half of the frosting. This will allow the frosting to melt into all the nooks and crannies. Let the cinnamon buns cool in the pan (on a wire rack) for 30 minutes, then use the foil sling to lift the buns out of the pan. Top with remaining frosting and serve immediately.

Storing

Cinnamon buns don’t last long, as in they’ll be devoured very quickly. But also, because they are an enriched dough, they are best eaten the day they are baked. If you do find yourself with a few buns to spare, place in an air-tight container and store on the counter for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave (15 seconds max) or the oven until soft and gooey once more… (The only) Cinnamon Buns (you will ever eat again)