banana cinnamon buns

Happy weekend everyone! For those of you who have no idea what day of the week it is anymore (or don’t care), I am with you. Remember weekends? They were an excuse to do something fun, something fancy, something creative. In a way, we can now do that any time we damn well please, which is pretty awesome.

I was a little hesitant to post this for the obvious reason: I told myself that I would try to focus on making and posting things that everyone might have access to, ie flour and yeast. Banana bread seems like a top contender of quarantine bakes lately, and I’m all for it. But as my bananas sat on my counter getting spottier each day (as they always do), I knew what the solution was. These are a little more unexpected, a little more exciting, a little more special in my mind. And nothing says weekend/holiday/special day like cinnamon buns!

*Here are a few notes on the recipe: The original recipe is vegan- the banana takes the place of egg here, making the dough super moist and fluffy, while being egg-free. This is a great option for those with egg allergies. (I swear I’m not just saying this, but I freaking love this dough recipe. It is so light, fluffy, soft, and it even keeps well into the next day.) I have made notes next to ingredients for which lactose-free option I’ve used, but if you want to make these vegan, use your milk alternatives and butter alternatives. If you don’t avoid dairy, use regular butter/milk/cream cheese. This recipe is easy to modify to your needs! Just keep in mind, the higher the fat content of your ingredients, the richer your end product will be (I’m looking at you, skim milk). I also am going to make an effort to include metrics for all of my measurements from here on out. It seems the right thing to do. Lastly, this dough doesn’t contain a ton of sugar, relying on the banana for sweetness. The riper your banana, the sweeter your buns will taste.

banana cinnamon buns

yield - 6 buns (this recipe can easily be doubled)

dough
3 oz. (85 ml) milk (I used whole Lactaid)
1 tsp. (3.5 g) active dry yeast
-
2 Tb. (30 g) melted butter or neutral oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 Tb. (15 g) granulated sugar
1 medium banana (90-100 g), mashed 
2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
½ tsp. (3 g) Kosher salt

In a heatproof bowl or measuring cup, heat the milk to 100-110 degrees F (38-43 Celsius). You can do this in a microwave for about 45 seconds. Be sure to temp it- if it goes higher than 110, it will kill your yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk and mix well. Let the yeast proof for anywhere from 5-15 minutes, until it looks foamy and bubbly. Add milk to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium mixing bowl). Add the oil, sugar, banana, flour and salt. Secure the bowl to the stand mixer with the hook attachment, and mix on low for about 5 minutes, speeding up little by little until the dough looks smooth and uniform. It should not stick to the sides of the bowl at all. If mixing by hand, use a strong wooden spoon to combine all of the ingredients and then knead on a clean counter for 5 minutes or so. The dough will be soft and not very sticky, with little pliability.

Return back to the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap until doubled, at least one hour. If your kitchen is cold like mine, this may take longer, but wait until it has actually doubled. The dough is fairly heavy so it naturally will take longer to rise than a typical yeasted dough (think brioche). Go for a walk, call a friend, read a book, WHATEVER just let it do it’s thing. Yeast is all about patience. If my dough needs a little help here, I stick it in the oven, turn the heat on to 250 just until the oven feels warm (no more than 100 degrees if you have an oven therm, which I highly recommend buying), and TURN THE OVEN OFF. Let the dough rise in there with the light on. Keep in mind that every time you check the dough, you release what little heat is in the oven, so try not to. 

filling
⅓ cup (55 g) brown sugar
2 tsp. (5 g) cinnamon
2 Tb. (28 g) melted butter (I used clarified butter)
¼ cup (about 30 g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)

Grease an 11x7” (25x18 cm) baking pan and set aside. When your dough is doubled in size, it is time to prepare the filling. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in a rectangle 14x8 inches (36x20 cm) with the shorter side facing you. Brush the butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar onto the surface, leaving a ½” border on the short end closest to you. Spread it around with your hands to make it even. If using nuts, sprinkle them over the sugar. With clean hands, take the end farthest from you and roll it as tightly as you can. You can add a little water to the end nearest you before sealing the log. Position the roll so that the seal is underneath it. Using a sharp knife, slice the log in half, then each half into thirds. This will make 6 rolls. Place the cut rolls into your greased pan. At this point, you can continue to bake the same day, or cover the rolls and refrigerate overnight, which is usually my preferred option. 

If baking the same day, cover the rolls again and proof on the counter until doubled in size, another hour or so. If you poke the dough lightly with your finger, it should feel soft and squishy and spring back slowly. Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C). Remove the cover and bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, until they are a very light golden brown. Overbaking will result in dry buns-something we don’t want, so check after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing. 

If baking the next morning, take your rolls out of the fridge and, still covered, proof them in a slightly warm oven by turning the oven on to 250F for a few seconds and turn it off as soon as it feels slightly warm inside. Leave the buns to proof until they are about doubled. Because the dough is so cold, it needs this little boost of heat to proof. Otherwise you will have to wait much longer for them to come back up to temperature-not ideal in the morning when you want to eat them ASAP. If you poke the dough lightly with your finger, it should feel soft and squishy and spring back slowly. Remove buns from the oven and preheat the oven to 350F (180 C). Remove the cover and bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, until they are a very light golden brown. Overbaking will result in dry buns-something we don’t want, so check after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing. 

glaze
⅓ cup (38 g) powdered sugar
1 Tb. (15 g) melted butter (I used clarified)
splash of vanilla 
pinch of salt
1 Tb. (15 ml) milk (I used Lactaid)
-or-
cream cheese frosting
2 Tb. (30 g) cream cheese, room temp (I used lactose-free)
1 Tb. (15 g) butter, room temp (I used clarified)
3 Tb. (45 g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients with a small whisk or spatula until you have a smooth, spreadable icing. Evenly divide the icing over the rolls and serve warm. These keep well if stored airtight for another day, but see if they last that long.