Cooking Lesson #114— County Fair Cinnamon Buns

County Fair Week

County Fair Cinnamon Buns

How you doin’? This week’s blogs are a celebration of County Fair Food no matter where you live. There is nothing better than munching your way through the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles County Fair has been cancelled this year—sob, sob, weep, weep—I am shedding real tears. I don’t think they even closed the fair during World War II. This is a real tragedy. But alas, why should this be any different from other events that have closed? Schools are closed, graduations were cancelled, weddings postponed… you can’t even get a haircut! But taking away my sin-a-mon buns is the real sin… more or less the last straw for me.
 
Whenever I go to the fair, I always start at the beginning. There is one particular stand that makes humongous cinnamon buns that look as big as flying saucers.  We like to develop recipes that bring us back to happier times and back together. This is just one of those great midway recipes that match the giant cinnamon buns for the county fairs across this fine land.
 
Read all instructions completely before beginning. Make sure to measure all ingredients and have them at your side before you start mixing.
 
Prep time:  40 minutes
Proof time:  1 hour + 1 hour or overnight
Bake time:  30 to 35 minutes
Yield: 12 large cinnamon buns
 
Ingredients
For the cinnamon bun dough
1/4 cup warm water (no warmer than 110⁰F)
1 package active dry yeast (7 grams)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4-pound unsalted butter, chilled (1 stick)
3 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
Butter (to grease the baking pans—2 cake rounds or 1 rectangle)
 
For the powdered sugar icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk or half & half
 
Directions
To make the cinnamon buns

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir. Allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes.
3. Stir together 1/4 cup of sugar, the flour and salt.
4. Cut the stick of butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Mix until there are coarse little lumps of butter throughout.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast mixture, egg yolks and milk. Beat until blended.
6. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Knead until a smooth dough forms.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment until dough has doubled in size; about 1 hour.
8. Butter your baking pans, both bottom and sides… either two 9” cake rounds or one 9” x 13” rectangle.
9. Punch down dough and knead for two minutes to pop all the air bubbles. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Divide dough in half and roll out each ball to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle.
11. Cut remaining 1/3 cup of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and place evenly on each piece of rolled out dough.
12. Sprinkle half of the granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar over the first dough rectangle.  Reserve the remaining granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar for the second one.
13. Roll the dough up. With a think sharp knife, cut into 1”-1-1/2” slices.
14. Place the slices of dough in the baking pan, cut side down, leaving space between the buns to allow for rising.
15. Repeat steps 12-14 with the second dough rectangle.
16. In a warm draft-free place, allow the dough to rise in the baking pan(s) until doubled (about 1 hour or you can let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator) (see the ChefSecret below).
17. Preheat an oven to 350ºF. If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, allow it to come to room temperature before putting it into the pre-heated oven (about 2 hours).
18. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes.
19. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans

To make the powder sugar icing

1. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk for desired glaze consistency.
2. Drizzle the cinnamon buns with powdered sugar icing. Serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret:

• Allowing the dough to proof a little longer overnight will develop more flavor in the dough.
• If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, remember to pull the pan(s) from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking. If the dough is cold when put into the oven, the rolls will only be baked on the outside but will be doughy and under-baked on the inside.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: Do you remember when you were a little kid and all your underwear had the days of the week on them. Those would be helpful right now.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading,

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