Cinnamon Raisin Buns

Best Ever Cinnamon Raisin Buns
A while ago I posted a recipe for one of the easiest homemade breads I’ve ever made – Asian milk bread, which I used to make ham and cheese buns. There are so many ways that this basic dough recipe can be used, and as promised, here is another incarnation using the same basic milk bread dough. These buns are as soft and pillowy and sweet and delicious as they look. This clever dough replicates all the great qualities of a brioche although it contains no butter and is far simpler to make than a traditional brioche dough. These buns are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning or afternoon and even as a cheeky breakfast. Next time I make this amazing dough it will be for hot dog and hamburger buns which I think will work a treat as the dough is firm enough to hold a substantial filling but soft and yielding at the same time.

Ingredients – Makes 12 buns Adapted from Woks of Life

For the bread dough:

⅔ cup cream (at room temperature)

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon milk (at room temperature)

1 large egg (at room temperature)

⅓ cup sugar

½ cup cake flour, or ½ cup plain flour with ½ a tablespoon on flour removed and replaced with corn flour

3½ cups bread flour or plain flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

½ teaspoon salt

To finish the buns:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½-⅔ cup raisins

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water to form an egg wash

simple syrup: 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Method

Start by making the bread dough. In the bowl of a mixer, add the cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough will grow to 1.5 times its original size.

Asian Milk Bread Dough

After the bread dough has proofed for an hour, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a rough 8×4 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and dot with a few raisins. Roll into a cigar, and cut the cigar in half lengthwise, leaving one end attached (it’ll look like a pair of pants). Twist the two pieces together, and then roll the whole thing into a snail shape, tucking the ends underneath the bun. Lay on a baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise for another hour.

Cinnamon Raisin Buns
Cinnamon Raisin Buns using Asian Milk Bread Dough