Buttery Flaky Cinnamon Morning Buns Recipe

Introduction

These buttery flaky cinnamon morning buns are a delightful way to start your day. Made with rich Danish pastry dough, warm spices, and a hint of orange zest, they offer a perfect balance of sweet and aromatic flavors. Enjoy them fresh out of the oven for a comforting breakfast treat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups white bread flour
• 1 package rapid rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices
• 6 tablespoons browned butter, cooled (for filling)
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• Zest of one orange, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a small bowl, beat the egg, warm water, and room temperature milk together; set aside. In a food processor, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and pulse to mix.
2. Step 2: Add the cold butter slices to the food processor and process until the butter is cut into small pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the milk mixture until combined.
3. Step 3: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight or up to 4 days.
4. Step 4: When ready, bring the dough to room temperature. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle.
5. Step 5: Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, with the closed fold on your left. Roll it out again into a rectangle and repeat the folding process three times.
6. Step 6: If the dough becomes sticky or difficult to work with, chill it in the refrigerator between rolling and folding.
7. Step 7: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, spices, and orange zest for the filling and set aside.
8. Step 8: Lightly brush the inside and bottom wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with some melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle sugar into each well, coat well, and discard any excess sugar.
9. Step 9: Roll the dough out into an 8 by 20-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush the top of the dough with browned butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture, pressing it lightly into the dough.
10. Step 10: Roll the dough tightly from the long edge like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 equal pieces and place them cut side up into the prepared muffin tin.
11. Step 11: Allow the rolls to rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
12. Step 12: Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and fluffy.
13. Step 13: Remove the muffin tin from the oven and invert the buns onto a wire rack. After 10 minutes, roll each bun in sugar to coat. Serve and enjoy warm.

Tips & Variations

• Chill the dough between folding to make it easier to handle and maintain butter layers for flakiness.
• For extra citrus flavor, add a teaspoon of orange extract to the filling mixture.
• Swap out the orange zest for lemon zest for a different bright note.
• Use a mix of brown and white sugars to balance sweetness and caramel flavor in the filling.
• If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two knives.

Storage

Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To keep longer, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat gently in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-7 minutes or microwave for about 15 seconds to warm and refresh the texture before serving.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before shaping, which helps develop flavor and makes the process easier.

What if I don’t have a muffin tin?

You can bake the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them close together so they rise upward and stay soft, though they won’t have the same shape as when baked in a muffin tin.

Buttery Flaky Cinnamon Morning Buns Recipe

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4.8 from 102 reviews

These Buttery Flaky Cinnamon Morning Buns are perfect for a cozy breakfast or brunch. Made with a laminated Danish pastry dough brushed with browned butter and rolled with a fragrant cinnamon-spice sugar mixture, these morning buns bake up golden and fluffy with layers of tender, flaky butteriness. The dough benefits from an overnight chill that develops flavor and texture, and the final result is a delightful sweet treat with hints of orange zest and warm spices.

• Author: Maya
• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight chilling time)
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: Overnight plus 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 morning buns 1x
• Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Pastry
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American, Danish-inspired

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Danish Pastry Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups white bread flour
• 1 package rapid rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices

Filling

• 6 tablespoons browned butter, cooled
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• Zest of one orange, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Prepare wet ingredients: In a small bowl, beat together the egg, warm water, and room temperature milk until combined. Set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients and incorporate butter: In a food processor, pulse together the bread flour, rapid-rise yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the cold slices of butter and pulse until the butter is cut into small pieces and well distributed.
3. Form the dough: Transfer the butter-flour mixture into a large bowl. Pour in the egg, water, and milk mixture. Gently fold together with a spatula or spoon until it forms a cohesive dough.
4. Refrigerate dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight or for up to 4 days to develop flavor and allow the butter to firm up.
5. Roll and fold dough (laminate): When ready, let the dough come to room temperature. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter with the folded edge to your left. Roll out again into a rectangle and repeat the letter fold. Repeat this rolling and folding process a total of 4 times. If the dough becomes sticky or difficult to handle, refrigerate it between turns to firm up.
6. Preheat oven and prepare sugar mixture: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a small bowl, combine the white sugar, light brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
7. Prepare muffin tin: Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the inside and bottom of each well in a 12-cup muffin tin with some of the melted browned butter. Sprinkle sugar into each well and shake gently to coat all surfaces. Dump out the excess sugar.
8. Roll out dough and add filling: On a lightly floured surface, roll the laminated dough into an 8 x 20 inch large rectangle. Brush the top evenly with cooled browned butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar spice mixture evenly over the surface. Press the spices lightly into the dough to adhere.
9. Form rolls: Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
10. Arrange and proof: Place each roll, cut side up, into the prepared muffin tin cups. Cover and set aside in a draft-free, warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
11. Bake: Bake the morning buns in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy.
12. Cool and coat: Remove the buns from the oven and immediately invert the muffin tin onto a wire rack to release the buns. Let cool for 10 minutes, then roll each bun in sugar to coat before serving.

Notes

• Make sure your butter is cold when incorporating it into the flour to get flaky layers.
• The dough needs time to rest in the fridge for optimal flavor and texture; do not rush this step.
• If the dough feels sticky when rolling, chill it briefly to make handling easier.
• Using a sharp knife or dental floss to cut the dough roll helps keep the edges neat.
• Browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor to the filling but ensure it is cooled before applying so it doesn’t melt the dough prematurely.
• The spice blend can be adjusted to taste, omit cloves if you prefer a less intense flavor.

Keywords: morning buns, cinnamon buns, pastry, buttery rolls, breakfast pastry, Danish pastry, cinnamon sugar rolls