Cinnamon Buns

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4 ounce package)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the bowl
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (13 ounces)
• 1/4 cup sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (1/8 ounce)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for coating the pan
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Recipe

• 1 combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until it is about 100 degrees f (but no more than 110 degrees). remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the surface over the liquid. sprinkle a pinch of the sugar over the top and set aside without stirring, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• 2 whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
• 3 whisk the flour, the sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. shape into a ball.
• 4 brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. put dough in the buttered bowl, turning to coat lightly with butter. cover bowl with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time. let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• 5 turn dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; reform into a ball and return to the bowl. lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it on the dough. cover the entire bowl tightly with plastic and proof in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
• 6 to fill and form the rolls: butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. turn prepared dough onto a floured work surface and press, then roll into 10-by-18-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about an inch border on the side opposite you. evenly scatter the cinnamon-sugar over the butter. starting from the long side facing you, roll the dough up into a tight cylinder. lightly brush the clean edge of the dough with water. press the open long edge to the dough to seal the cylinder.
• 7 slip a long taut piece of string or dental floss under the roll, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. lift and cross the string ends over the roll, then pull the ends tightly in opposite directions to cut a single roll. repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make 12 rolls. place the rolls cut-side-down in the prepared pan, leaving 1 inch of space between them. cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap. set aside in a warm place to rise until rolls double in size, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• 8 position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees f.
• 9 bake buns until golden brown and the tops of the buns spring back when pressed lightly, about 30 minutes. cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• 10 to make the glaze: sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. whisk in the condensed milk, butter, and lemon juice to make a smooth, slightly loose icing. add the vanilla and cinnamon. drizzle the icing over warm buns. serve.
• 11 *cook's note: these may be refrigerated or frozen after forming. if refrigerated overnight, allow buns to come to room temperature for about 1/2 hour, then proof fully (until doubled in size) before baking, about 2 hours. if frozen, allow buns to come to room temperature, about 1 hour, and then proof fully (until doubled in size) before baking, about 2 hours.
• 12 storage: though the buns are best eaten on the day they are baked, they will keep, covered, for a day. they freeze well.