Bakery-Style Cinnamon Buns

Soft, fluffy, pull-apart cinnamon buns with a rich cream cheese frosting.

Dough

Ingredients

• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
• 1¾ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cups whole milk
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 150–200 g softened unsalted butter

Filling

• Softened butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together, keeping the butter separate.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 200 g (7 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 100 g softened butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup heavy cream

Beat everything together until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Instructions

Activate the yeast

Warm the milk until it feels like warm bath water (not hot).

Stir in the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over the top.

Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until nice and foamy.

Warm the heavy cream for about 15–20 seconds, just until slightly warm.

Make the dough

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine

• Flour
• Salt
• Eggs
• Warm heavy cream
• Yeast mixture

Mix until the ingredients are partially combined.

Before all of the flour disappears and before a dough has fully formed, begin adding the softened butter a little at a time. Continue mixing until all of the ingredients come together into one smooth dough.

Stand mixer: Knead with the dough hook for 8–10 minutes.

By hand: Knead for at least 15 minutes. If you have the patience, kneading a few extra minutes will only improve the dough. The smoother the dough becomes, the softer and fluffier your cinnamon buns will be.

First rise

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl.

Cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Shape the cinnamon buns

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, keeping one covered while working with the other.

Roll each piece into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.

Spread with softened butter.

Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Roll tightly from the long side.

Cut into about 7–8 cinnamon buns per half, depending on how large you want them. I made about 8 per half, and they were the perfect size.

Arrange in the pans

Lightly oil your baking pans. Don’t use parchment paper. The oil helps the cinnamon buns release beautifully and gives the bottoms a nicer bake.

Use a deep baking pan that’s just large enough for the cinnamon buns to sit close together and lightly touch each other and the sides of the pan. (Like picture) As they rise and bake, they’ll support one another, creating soft, tall, bakery-style cinnamon buns that pull apart perfectly.

Final rise

Cover the pans and let the cinnamon buns rise for 45–60 minutes, until they’re noticeably puffy.

Bakery trick (optional)

Right before baking, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of whole milk (or heavy cream) around each pan, pouring it between the cinnamon buns rather than directly on top. This helps keep them extra soft and moist.

Bake

Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 30–35 minutes.

Start checking around 28 minutes.

Bake until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are fully cooked. Try not to overbake. Slightly lighter cinnamon buns stay softer.

Frost

Let the cinnamon buns cool for 5–10 minutes.

Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the warm cinnamon buns and enjoy!