The Very Best Cinnamon Buns

OOOPS! 2 are missing! :)

The Very Best Cinnamon Buns
McKenzie Aiken Crisp

I make the starter after I take the kids to school and then make the dough after dinner and form the buns before we go to bed...next morning, Cinnamon Buns!


Starter:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Idaho potato flakes
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm-hot tap water

Cinnamon Buns:
Nonstick oil spray
1 cup starter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cups vegetable oil (recommended: Mazola)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot tap water
1 (1 tablespoon) package dry active yeast
6 cups all-purpose flour (recommended: Pillsbury)

Filling:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, plus more if needed
1/2 cup ground cinnamon (I love Pensey’s house brand ground cinnamon)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Glaze/Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half or liquid coffee creamer-we like Italian Cream or one with a cinnamon flavor

Starter: One day before you plan on baking the cinnamon buns combine the starter ingredients. Stir this mixture occasionally with a rubber spatula and your starter should soon start bubbling within 12 hours.

Buns: When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Prepare 2 (9 by 12-inch) rectangular baking dishes by spraying with nonstick oil spray.
In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together starter, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, salt, water, yeast and flour.
After mixing the dough for about 2 minutes, remove the dough to a bowl sprayed with nonstick oil.

Note: If the dough mix is too wet, add more flour.

Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size. This will take 1 to 4 hours, depending on the weather at the time.

When doubled, dump the whole pile of dough onto a well-floured surface and with a rolling pin manipulate the dough to make a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Filling: Spread the butter onto the dough triangle making sure you spread thoroughly to all corners. Sprinkle brown sugar and then cinnamon over the butter making sure that the whole triangle is covered, corner to corner. Top with chopped pecans and raisins, if desired
Roll the dough into a tight roll. Cut with a serrated knife into 2-inch long rolls and place into the baking dishes.

Preheat oven to 170 degrees to proof until you see that they are almost but not quite doubled in size, about 40 to 50 minutes. When you see that they are at that point, turn the oven up to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes until you see that they are golden on the top.

Glaze/Icing: In a mixer beat powdered sugar and half-and-half until smooth and without lumps. Take the buns out of the oven and put them on a wire rack. Immediately glaze them with a pastry brush. After glazing all of the buns, go back over and glaze once again.


Makes 24 buns