Salt Caramel Maple Frosted Cinnamon Buns

Not only did this past weekend’s blizzard live up to expectations, it exceeded them. The 6 to 12 inches ended up being more like 25 inches in our neck of the woods. Either way, Saturday was going to be a snow day. In other words, a perfect day for baking. So I decided to whip up some cinnamon buns with a twist: salt caramel maple frosting!

Homemade cinnamon buns blow the pre-made canned kind out of the water every time. They take some time but they are not really too difficult. There is not much to screw up: make the dough, roll it out, coat in cinnamon and sugar, roll it up, bake. That’s it. They are soft, fluffy and not overwhelmingly sweet (unless you want them to be, of course).

The secret to these cinnamon buns is the frosting. Specifically, Lori’s Salt Caramel Syrup. On its own, the syrup is salty but mildly flavored. It would be great for jazzing up some waffles or pancakes. For the frosting, combined with the powdered sugar and milk, the maple flavor really shines through but is not a bit overpowering. The syrup is 100% handcrafted and is available online.

These Salt Caramel Maple Frosted Cinnamon Buns are a tasty treat for any day. Two feet of snow is not required!

Salt Caramel Maple Frosted Cinnamon Buns

(adapted from recipe in Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice”)

Cinnamon Bun Ingredients

3.25 oz granulated sugar
.25 oz salt
2.75 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
1 egg, slightly beaten
zest of 1 lemon
16 oz bread flour
.22 oz instant yeast
9 oz whole milk at room temperature
6.5 tbsp of granulated sugar combined with 1.5 tbps of ground cinnamon

Cream together the sugar, salt and butter. Add the milk.
Combine in the egg and lemon zest.
Add flour, yeast and milk.
If using a mixer, switch to a dough hook once the dough starts to come together and form a ball. Continue mixing until the dough is soft, somewhat elastic but not too sticky.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let the dough ferment for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
On a floured flat surface, carefully roll the dough out to be 14″ wide, 12″ long and 2/3″ thick.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar onto the dough, covering the entirety.
Carefully roll the dough up into a log. Cut the log into 6 pieces.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the 6 cinnamon buns on the baking sheet. Space them at least a half inch apart.
Proof the buns for 75 to 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
In a 350-degree F oven, bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
While still warm, drizzle with Salt Caramel Maple Frosting.