I love cinnamon buns, and I was so happy when I lived in Copenhagen. Honestly this city really shared my love for pastries. I recently visited again and ate way to many and decided this is it. I have never tried to make them, which is crazy. Because I love baking, and right now the weather is really cold, so baking the perfect reason to stay inside. This is why baking is popular in fall and winter right?
The fun, but also scary part, about cinnamon buns is that they require yeast. And as much as I make cakes, I don't really use yeast in a lot of recipes (except nutritional yeast). But actually it is really simple, especially if you use dry yeast, because you just add it to the flour and that's it. Using yeast does mean that the dough needs to rise for an hour, which is fine, but calculate that into your prep time and just pick a good Netflix show to watch while the yeast does all the work.
The most challenging comes after the dough is finished and you've added the cinnamon paste. Because those little buns need to be turned and twisted and cut (not in this order). And all I an say is, just do it, because luckily the shape doesn't have to be perfect, and remember that this recipes makes around 12, so you have a pretty good shot at making just one really pretty. I'm kidding, there is a trick! You flatten out the dough to make a square, add a layer of cinnamon paste, fold the dough in half. Cut 12 pieces. Take one of the pieces and cut a horizontal line in the middle but leave about a centimetre (Don't worry, there is pictures at the bottom of this post). Twists these two parts and fold them together into a knot.
Vegan Cinnamon Buns
10-12 pieces
For the dough
1 1/2 cup oat milk
100 gram coconut sugar (or sub with cane sugar)
120 gram plant butter
7 gram dry yeast
300 gram 00 flour (pizza flour)
360 gram all purpose flour
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt (optional)
Cinnamon paste
150 gram plant butter (room temperature)
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
150 gram coconut sugar (sub with cane sugar, but use only 100 gram)
Heat up the oat milk, sugar and butter in a pan. Don’t boil it, just make sure the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved and set aside.
Mix the dry yeast with both the 00 flour and all purpose flour and add cinnamon and salt.
Mix the liquid and flour together and kneed the dough for 5 minutes to get some gluten in there! The texture should be like bread dough, but a little stickier. Add more flour if necessary. Add the dough to a clean bowl and place a towel over it.
Let rise for 1 hour.
Meanwhile make the cinnamon paste. Cut the butter in small pieces and mix them together with the other ingredients. Use your hands to kneed it to a paste that is spreadable.
Preheat the oven to 220 C (430F).
Line a baking tray with baking paper or a reusable mat. Take the dough out of the bowl and slam it a few times. Flatten out the dough to make a square and add a thick layer of cinnamon paste. Fold the dough in half. Cut 12 pieces sideways. Take one of the pieces and cut a horizontal line in the middle but leave about a centimetre. Twists these two parts and fold them together into a knot. Repeat with the other 11 pieces and add them to the baking tray. They will grow, so give them a little room (look at the pictures below for some visual guidance).
Place them in the oven for 15-17 minutes and enjoy (the sugar get's really hot, so don't eat them straight away).
*I froze a few and you can easily put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes whenever you are in need of a homemade cinnamon bun