At least my husband and I think that the cinnamon rolls from the Bread Baker’s Apprentice are incredible.
No, my husband said that THESE WERE BETTER THAN CINNABON. Pause for a moment, and let that sink in. If my husband, the Honorable Master Chow, weren’t so disciplined, Cinnabon would be a major food group.
I’m lagging a bit behind in my baking/cooking/challenges because of an illness in the family, so I’m coming up for some air. The good news: it isn’t cancer that a close relative is suffering from, but it is still pretty serious, and when you’re almost 80, you just don’t bounce back like you used to do. And baking seems to be my stress reliever. My brain is happy, the scale . . . not so much.
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge (BBA) is the idea of Nicole at Pinch My Salt. You can see what we’re baking this week at our Flickr group, on Twitter (#BBA), or check out the challenge page. For those of you who don’t know about it, we are baking everything in Peter Reinhart’s book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. I must say that when Peter Reinhart claimed that these were BETTER than Cinnabon, I was skeptical. Peter, I should not have doubted you – they are better. No commercial aftertaste, and delighfully fluffy.
What changes did I make? Not many. I used buttermilk, and Kirkland brand cinnamon (Costco). Because that is not as strong as Penzey’s Vietnamese cinnamon, I increased the amount to 2 Tbsp, and added a dash of allspice for good measure. Unlike a lot of other cinnamon bun recipes, Reinhart does not call for extra butter as a foundation for the cinnamon mixture, making for a decidedly less greasy bun. The recipe for the White Fondant Glaze makes way too much glaze, so next time I will cut that in half, which will provide a generous amount for the rolls. I used 1/2 tsp. orange oil (not extract) for the glaze, and it worked out really well. Really, really well, since we polished off all of the buns between the two of us.
Be sure to check out Susan’s weekly YeastSpotting roundup, to see what bread bakers all over the world are making! This week, Nick at Macheesmo will be hosting for Susan, so head on over there.
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13 users responded in this post
Oh god, they do look good. I need to make these again.
These do look incredible. Well done! I’m dieting at the moment but as soon as I hit my goal weight these will move to the top of the list. I hope you are having a wonderful day.
What gorgeous photos – I especially love that top one! Great job. I hope things get better soon for your family member.
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Those cinnamon buns look so amazing . . . We also had illness in the family this past year, also older relatives–so stressful. My thoughts are with you.
These look amazing! I made my BBA cinnamon rolls last weekend, and we just devoured them! I love the idea of cinnamon rolls being their own foodgroup!
Gorgeous photos!! The cinnamon rolls look wonderful!
Sorry about all the stress you are under. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. :0)
Oh my, oh my… I wish I could grab one of those right off the computer screen. Cinnamon rolls are in my top three all time favorite treat. And if these are better than cinnabon? Heaven help me!
They couldn’t look one bit more inticing.
I’m sorry to hear about your family illness. It’s always so hard… Hugs and prayers to you and your family.
Wow, those are huge and look GREAT! Gonna have to try those!
that first picture? heavenly, my ass is growing just looking at it. great job! i lurve me some cinnamon rolls, they just take soooo long to make.
so sorry that you’re under so much stress, sending positive vibes to you and yours.
I really need to make these again. Your rolls look amazing.
Madame, those are beautiful.
Wow. Your cinnamon rolls look fabulous, especially with the glaze.