Cinnamon Buns

Few things are as inviting as the smell of cinnamon buns baking — sweet spice filling the house, pillowy dough waiting to be pulled apart. For me, they carry nostalgia from Sweden and Denmark, where kanelbullar are part of every coffee break. And in Canada, that tradition found new life — from prairie kitchens to the smell of Cinnabon in the malls of the ’80s and ’90s, and of course the IKEA food court, where many of us first tasted Swedish-style buns after wandering the aisles of flat-pack furniture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus rising time)

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Makes: 8–10 buns

Ingredients

For the dough

• 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

• 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk

• ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 large egg

• (Or use my Simple Bread dough for a quicker version — perfect if making both sweet and savoury buns.)

For the filling

• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar

• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, softened

• For the glaze (optional)

• 1 cup (120 g) icing sugar

• 2 tbsp milk or cream

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add warm milk, melted butter, and egg. Mix until dough comes together.

• Knead on a floured surface 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

• Roll dough into a 30 × 45 cm (12 × 18 inch) rectangle. Spread softened butter evenly, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

• Roll up tightly from the long edge and slice into 8–10 pieces. Arrange in a greased baking dish. Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

• Optional: whisk glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over warm buns.

Variations

• Scandinavian Style – add cardamom to the dough for a Nordic twist.

• Maple Cinnamon Buns – replace part of the sugar in the filling or glaze with maple syrup.

• Pecan Cinnamon Buns – sprinkle chopped Canadian pecans over the filling before rolling.