Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

If I'm going to take the time to bake or cook something, the recipe is going to be simple. It has to be or else I just won't do it: I'll starve. For that reason, I decided to make an attempt at creating a recipe for cinnamon buns that I will actually take the time to follow (typically, cinnamon buns have a long list of ingredients that my brain will scan and immediately reject as too much effort for this very moment and I will swear to make them another day and then I never actually will). Using just five basic ingredients, I took what I've come to understand about sourdough baking over the years and "wung-it", resulting in these crispy but chewy and soft sourdough cinnamon buns that are so simple to make I have much less resistance to taking the effort and time to bake them; it is SO worth it. 

For the sourdough starter recipe I use click here 

Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

30g starter 
120g warm water 
130g unbleached flour 

125g warm water
1/4 cup raw sugar
300g unbleached flour

2 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup raw sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. add the 30g starter, 120g warm water and 130g unbleached water to a non-metallic bowl. Mix with a fork and let sit at room temperature for 6-10 hours (I let mine sit overnight).

2. to the bowl add 125g warm water, 1/4 cup raw sugar to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon, then add 300g unbleached flour and mix with a wooden spoon again. 

3. allow to rise at room temperature for 2-5 hours, folding and stretching once or twice. 

4. roll out on a lightly floured countertop into a large rectangle shape, spread the softened butter over the surface and mix together the raw sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl before sprinkling evenly over the butter. 

5. roll the rectangle into a long log to make the cinnamon bun shape, then cut in half, then cut those two logs in half, then cut the four logs in half etc. until you have about 16 cinnamon buns.

6. arrange the cinnamon buns in a buttered casserole dish and allow to rise for a few more hours until the buns fill in the bottom of the dish (you can do this on the counter or inside the fridge, if you do it in the fridge just be sure to let the casserole dish come back to room temperature before putting in a hot oven so the dish doesn't break).

7. bake in the oven at 450 for about 18 minutes until golden (allow to cool before glazing). 

Buttery Date Glaze 

1 cup pitted and chopped dates (covered with water)
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 tbsp raw sugar 
1/4 cup butter 

Instructions:

Chop up the dates and add to a small saucepan, just covering with water. Bring to a boil with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally until the dates form a sauce. Then add sugar, cook down a bit more before adding the vanilla, stirring a few more times. When the date sauce reaches a consistency you enjoy (I seriously just feel things out all the time, there's rarely an exact science around here which makes sharing recipes fun) take it off the heat and allow to cool a bit. Stir in the butter while the sauce is still warm and then add to a mason jar to store in the refrigerator. 

You can glaze the buns directly in the pan if you so desire, but I prefer to take the buns out of the casserole dish and transfer them into a large tupperware container to store in the refrigerator and spread the glaze on the buns from a jar as they are eaten (to keep things easier to clean later, and less sticky on my hands as I'm enjoying them). 

Natasha MacIsaac