epicurious4.2
Honey Buns
A jazzed-up version of the classic honey buns, with caramelized edges and pillowy-soft centers. These buns make a fantastic Easter brunch.
👥 9 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 6h 30m🔥 Cook: 1h 30m👤 Autumn Moultrie📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●saucepan
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●baking sheet
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Dough
2
Whisk ⅓ cup (40 g) bread flour and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan until combined. Set over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a runny paste, 1–⏱️ 2 minutes. Transfer tangzhong to a small bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, at least ⏱️ 2 hours and up to 1 day.
3
Whisk 2 Tbsp. whole or nonfat dry milk powder, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. instant yeast, and remaining 4¾ cups (570 g) bread flour in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Whisk 1 large egg, room temperature, 1 cup whole milk, room temperature, and 2 Tbsp. honey in a medium bowl until combined; add to dry ingredients along with tangzhong and 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces.
. whole or nonfat dry milk powder2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt1 Tbsp. instant yeast2 tsplarge egg, room temperature1whole milk, room temperature1 cup. honey2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature4 Tbsp
4
Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment and mix on low speed, stopping motor and scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until a shaggy dough comes together around hook, 12–⏱️ 14 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix until dough springs back when you poke it, 7–⏱️ 9 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky but should slap and clean the sides of bowl.) Remove bowl from mixer and scrape dough from hook into bowl.
5
Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Transfer dough to bowl and lightly coat top of dough with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough at least ⏱️ 4 hours and up to 1 day. (Dough should double in size; the longer it ferments, the more flavor it will develop.)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
6
Filling
7
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl until fluffy, about ⏱️ 2 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry bag or a 1-qt. resealable plastic bag. Set aside at room temperature.
. honey2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon1 Tbsp½ tsp. ground cinnamonPinch of kosher salt
8
Do ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead; chill in pastry bag. Bring to room temperature before using.
9
Icing and assembly
10
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; dust top with flour. Using your hands, gently press and stretch dough to an 11x9" rectangle, then slice dough into nine 1" strips (alternatively, weigh out nine 135 g pieces). Using moderate pressure, roll each piece into a 30" rope, dusting surface with more flour (as little as possible) to prevent sticking if needed. Let rest ⏱️ 5 minutes.
11
Pat down each rope with your palms to flatten until about ¾" wide. Make sure filling is soft and pliable but not melted; if using a resealable plastic bag, snip off one corner to make a ¼–½" opening. Pipe a thin strip of filling down the center of each flattened dough rope. Working one at a time, roll up each rope to create a spiral, then lay down on surface and tuck end underneath bun to finish. The buns should be a slightly domed, but gently push centers in to keep in line with the rest of the bun (if it sticks out too far, it can burn).
12
Arrange buns on a large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing ½" apart. (You should be able to fit all 9 buns on the baking sheet; you want to give them just enough space so they proof into one another slightly.) Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 75–⏱️ 90 minutes.
13
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°. Bake buns ⏱️ 10 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until buns are golden brown on top, 6–⏱️ 8 minutes (Some filling will seep out onto baking sheet—that’s okay). Let cool ⏱️ 5 minutes.
14
While the buns are cooling, vigorously whisk 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Sift in ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar and whisk to incorporate.
. cream cheese, room temperature2 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon1 Tbsp½ tsp. ground cinnamonPinch of kosher salt
15
Generously brush buns with icing (it will melt when it hits the warm buns), then sprinkle lightly with 1 Tbsp. bee pollen, crushed to a powder, if desired.
. bee pollen, crushed to a powder (optional)1 Tbsp
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...