Did someone say cinnamon buuuuns?

This past weekend I was feeling a little more than ambitious, so I decided to pulled out a 'new' cookbook. *gasp!* The cookbook came from another one of 'those' - grab a tea and peruse through the aisles at Chapters* kind of day; except this day I had my mom with me and was in a wonderful mood (see my first blog post on how I acquired my first sourdough cookbook). But this time it was mom who spotted it; and the Dutchie that she is - grabbed my 'new' sourdough book off the sale rack. What luck! You see, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree;)

Mom refused to let me buy it saying, "No, it's my treat. It's for your birthday." This was in January - my birthday is in April. Mom's have a way don't they? Thanks mom for the lovely Birthday gift; and obviously you'll be one of the taste testers:)))

My ambition on Friday night also came from trying avoiding boredom and keep myself occupied and away from the 'doom and gloom' of the world. So I figured, what better way than to make food! Something different, something new, something challenging, something I haven't eaten in years? Then I remembered...cinnnnnnnamon buuuuuuns. 

Flipping through the book and finding the page with the photo of the doughy buns hugging each other in a cozy bunch, sent me reaching for Ruby and immediately getting her ready for her next big project. I think this is going to be a very good day Ruby.

But wait, there's more instructions than the one's on this page? *ugh* No one said this one was going to be easy, or quick; but that's the way with all things sourdough and the beauty of learning to slow down and take your time. 

Ok, you're all dying to know how it went and how it tasted aren't you. Good thing I take a tonne of photos! This is how much of my weekend was spent - and worth of every, slow and timely detail.

Step one: learn how to make Brioche. This is a very special type of bread (bun) and used as the base for the Cinnamon Bun recipe. *Ok, I'll follow your instructions for bun making, but your still turning into cinnamon buns!*


Step two: mix flour, eggs, and the leaven I made the night before. Using a mixer here is essential, otherwise it would be nearly impossible to get a smooth dough. Feels a little weird not to use my hands, but thankful for an opportunity to rest this two "mixing machines."


After resting the dough, 1/2lb of butter is added incrementally (yes, you read that right). Now you know why cinnamon buns are so delicious! 
Let rest a little while longer then pop in the fridge for a few hours. 
This is the point where Shawn says, after finishing his Sourdough Eggs Benedict, "When are we going to eat the dessert?" *seriously!!* Tomorrow, I said. I should have taken a picture of the look on his face!


Sunday afternoon: time to roll out *literally*
Now, I'm onto the Cinnamon Bun page again. Brioche? Sure, I got that down. 


Let me offer a word of advice: don't get distracted when you are at a critical time in your 'new' project. Why did I think it was a good idea to listen to the Queen's speech (only the 5th time ever!) while I was rolling the buns? It wasn't until I laid down on the sunny front porch for my daily power nap that it hit me. I ROLLED THEM THE WRONG WAY!!! Why is it that when you start to drift off that you suddenly remember the critical mistakes that you made?
#thingsthatkeepmeupatnight

After the *near* roll disaster, they needed to sit out and ferment for a further 16-24 hour. Yup, torture. 

The next morning I revealed the now doubly risen buns, and to my delight, they were all hugging each other and otherwise happy:) Kinda like when we all come out on the other side of this isolation thing...

At 10am Monday morning, after another beautiful sunny walk with Arla, I though - enough is enough. Those buns are going in the oven.

I called mom and told her the news. She immediately got her coat and shoes on and walked over to my house. It's good to have an incentive. 

Hot buns!!! And coffeeee...
Whoa - that was definitely worth the effort. Did I mention that there was also a half pound of butter in the filling? Again, why they are incredibly delicious! Now, I left them naked but if you were to add the frosting or cream cheese? Just think about that...
*Filling: 1/2lb organic butter, coconut sugar and cinnamon

I'm going to give this recipe two thumbs up and vowed to myself that I will only make them on special occasions - and when I have another 2 days to make them again. 

In addition to the weekend bun making experiment, I also turned that Tin Loaf I made last week into another meal. Mom was right, it did make good croutons! 

Fresh Rosemary and Lemon Sourdough Croutons

Caesar salad with Rosemary Lemon Sourdough Croutons and Homemade Lasagna. 

Thank you Rob and Sue for the delicious trade;)

Finally able to use my office space again. Arla is happy to share the space too:)

#blogging #myoffice

All in all I'd say it was a good weekend. Hope everyone got out to enjoy the beautiful sunny days as well. Better days are just around the corner. 

xoheather