Baking question - cinnamon roll texture

J

jasemus

New member
I'm trying to duplicate the texture of the cinnamon rolls I used to get from
an old neighborhood bakery. They cooked these rolls up in large sheets where
they connected together as they expanded, then they pulled them out in sets
of six for sale, each individual roll maybe 3-4 inches square and almost as
tall, with a simple white icing. They called them "old fashioned" cinnamons,
and they also offered some denser rolls cooked six to a disposable aluminum
pan, and individually cooked cinnamons, but neither one had the texture of
the old fashioneds.

They had this texture which was definitely not spongy or cakey at all. I'd
describe it more as strandy, where if you pulled on pieces as if to unroll
it the pieces came off in rather thick hunks of vertical strands. It was
light but not too light, just perfect. In my mind this is the holy grail of
cinnamon rolls.

Does this make sense and how would you prepare a dough to get this texture?
All my attempts yield something more like a sticky bun texture, way too
dense and thick. Maybe the solution is obvious to some of you accomplished
bakers, but I'm not in that league so please help!

BTW, the venerable old bakery (McClain's, Waldo, Kansas City) is still in
business under newer owners but many conditions, mostly beyond their
control, have caused their business to drop off, so now they don't make
nearly the variety or quantity of treats as they did "back in the day". The
old fashioned cinnamons were one of the casualties of cutting back.

MartyB
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:29:35 -0500, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:


We had a bakery a few blocks from us that made something like you describe, the
buns were huge and tasty. The only thing I can think of is that the texture was
like they weren't quite cooked almost doughy ()actually more cooked than
doughy), and you could pull them apart in large pieces. I can almost taste
them, once you had them slathered in butter the taste was hard to forget.

There's a place downtown that I know makes them, may have to go visit now. ;-)
 
"Nunya Bidnits" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

I am not sure what you describe but IMO the very best dough for cinnamon
buns is a potato refrigerator dinner roll. A typical recipe will use a cup
of mashed potatoes, shortening, egg and sugar. I would say the result is
"stringy" in that the bread peels apart in layers almost as if it had
multiple laminations.

Paul
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:29:35 -0500, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:

snip

Make a dough that is not dry or stiff. The dough should almost drool
through your hands. Do not roll the dough out with a rolling pin or
smash it flat. I'd pat it to the correct dimension. You can use a
rolling pin if you are quick and light. Cut the rolled dough into
maybe 2x2 inch pieces and place them in the pan where they will touch
snugly when they grow. Touching rolls will grow taller and less dry.
Come on over to alt.bread.recipes for some better ideas and
discussion.
Janet
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:44:34 -0700, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:


You made me look, so I might as well add a recipe I found for that. I
might use it to make cinnamon rolls. :)

Potato Refrigerator Rolls
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breads/potato-refrigerator-rolls/
Added by sleepycathollow on July 20 2009 in Breads Dinner Rolls

Servings 24

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 20 Minutes Difficulty Easy


Ingredients

1 package Dry Yeast
1-? cup Warm Water
1 cup Smashed Potatoes
2/3 cup Shortening
? cup Sugar
1-? teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk, Scalded OR Potato Water
2 whole Eggs Beaten
6 cups Flour

Preparation Instructions

Put yeast in warm water.

In your mixing bowl combine smashed potatoes, shortening, sugar, and
salt. Pour the scalding milk/or potato water over this mixture.

Add softened yeast mixture, 2 eggs and 3 cups of the flour. Beat
until smooth. Add about 3 more cups of flour and knead.

Store in refrigerator several hours or until double in bulk (or for a
few days).

This is where you can either make them all into dinner rolls and bake
in a 350F-375F oven for 20 minutes.


OR??make sweet sticky rolls.

Take 1/2 of the recipe from the refrigerator and roll dough to 9?x18?.
Spread with at least 2 TBSP butter and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of white
sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon.

Roll up and cut into 1inch slices and put in a 13x9 inch pan that has
the following in the bottom:
1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans
(optional?but not in my house!)

Let rise till double in size then bake in a 375F oven for 25 minutes.

Immediately invert onto a large tray.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:29:35 -0500, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:


Baking with Julia has a recipe for a Pecan Sticky buns that starts
with brioche dough as a base and then uses softened butter on top of
that, then folded like Puff Pastry. It's pretty amazing.

-goro-
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:52:06 -0700, sf wrote:


I follow the pioneer woman on twitter, she's a great number of yummy recipes
 
"Nunya Bidnits" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

This is what you want
Buns, Philadelphia Cinnamon (D, TNT)
Source: Edwin Pawlowski at rec.food.cooking
Yield: 14 rolls
2 9" round cake pans
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon active yeast
1/4 cup tepid water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup tepid milk
2 egg yolks
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup seedless raisins (I used about 1 cup)
1 tsp. cinnamon

Proof the yeast by putting into a bowl with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup
warm (tepid) water and placing the bowl in a warm place. (I turn on the oven
and put it on top of the stove) until the mixture bubbles.

Combine 3 cups of flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Stir the dry mix well.
Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks, and tepid milk.

With a large spoon, slowly mix the ingredients and continue to stir until
the dough is smooth and can be gathered in a ball. Place the ball on a
lightly floured surface and knead it until it becomes smooth, shiny, and
elastic. As you knead, add up to the 1/2 cup of flour on the ball to make it
firm.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once. Drape the bowl with a
kitchen towel and put it in a warm place for about an hour or until double
in volume.

In a small bowl, mix 3/4 cup of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the melted
butter and the corn syrup to make a thick shiny paste. Pour half of the
paste into each 9" cake pan, spreading it to the edge. Set this bowl aside.

In another bowl mix the balance of the brown sugar, raisins and cinnamon
until well blended. Set this bowl aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, and on a lightly floured
surface, roll it out into an approximate rectangle 18"x10" wide, and about
1/4" thick. Brush this dough with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and
sprinkle the entire surface with the brown sugar-raisin mix.

Starting at one long side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder about
18x2-1/2" in diameter. With a sharp knife, slice the cylinder crosswise into
14 rounds about 1-1/4" thick. Place one slice, cut side up, in the center of
the cake pan. (I used the end cuts for the middle piece, because it was a
little smaller and fit better).

Arrange 6 slices in each pan around the middle bun. Set the buns in a draft
free place to rise for about 45 minutes or until double in volume.

Preheat the oven to 350?F. Brush the tops of the buns with the remaining 2
tablespoons melted butter and bake in the center of the oven for about 25
minutes or until golden brown.

Place a plate over each cake pan, and invert. Let the cinnamon rolls cool to
lukewarm before serving.
 
"sf" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

That's a pretty typical recipe. Flour amounts vary considerably though. I
also use both milk and potato water. A very slow rise is they key, at least
12 hours in the coldest part of your fridge. Better yet is 24 hours. The
finished bread is extremely fragrant, tender and slightly sweet with a
velvety texture. It makes perfect cinnamon rolls.

Paul
 
Re: [email protected]

Ed Pawlowski wrote:


That's a likely looking recipe. I'll be trying it this week, thanks! Mags
recipe too. Looks like I'll be swimming in cinnamon for a few days!

Picked up some Ceylon cinnamon at my local spice shop which smells
fantastic. This should be a good week.
 
Re: [email protected]

Stu. wrote:



That very well describes what I am trying to recreate. There is a definite
directional "strandy" grain but as you state, it's still almost doughy, but
not really. It's just really moist.
 
On Mar 21, 2:29?pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:



Find a recipe from a reliable source and perfect your technique.
Easy. I use BH & G's old "Bread" (1962) recipe book - perfect every
time. It's a "rich roll dough" recipe - also can be used for plain,
rich dinner rolls or for caramel pecan rolls.
Make sure your yeast is fresh. I always use powdered, not cake type.
I've been using Hodgson's Mills or whatever the name is.

N.
 
On Mar 21, 3:44?pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:

I use leftover mashed potatoes for Czech "Kolaches," but find it too
heavy for the cinnamon roll texture the OP wants.

N.
 
"Nancy2" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
On Mar 21, 3:44 pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:

I use leftover mashed potatoes for Czech "Kolaches," but find it too
heavy for the cinnamon roll texture the OP wants.


They should try it. The result is much lighter and delicate than you think.

Paul
N.
 
On Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:34:55 -0500, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:


Not sure about the D, but it's possible the recipe is from the tnt cookbook by
bmcnichol in Dover, PA
Perhaps the D is Dover?
 
On Mar 22, 12:25?pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:

I have tried it, and find mine to be much lighter, and have the kind
of texture the OP wants. However, because of his ingredients and
technique, he may have a different experience. I don't have to try
it, but he does, you're right.

N.
 
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