Mini Cini Bun Experiment
The Holidays are here and cinnamon is in the air. I've been craving a cinnamon bun for a few weeks now, so today I have commited myself to walking on the sweet side and making some.
I'm making this up as I go along, but here are my goals (with explainations).
Girl brings home (once or twice a year) a store bought package called 'Babka'. It is not like any other Babka I've ever seen or had, but it is quite delicious and will be an influence on this recipe. It is essentially a cinnamon roll made in a typical bread pan, except the swirl of bread is very thin and loose when done, the swirled layers seperated by the filling (butter, sugar, cinnamon, a few raisins, some orange zest (I think) and air space. Dense but still somewhat light. It is rich, sweet, moist, tender and wonderful. No icing involved.
I want to incorporate many of these qualities in my Mini Cini Buns. They should be at most 2 inches round and perhaps an inch to an inch and a half high. They will be lightly drizzeled with a dark chocolate/orange ganache. They will not be the typical 'mall' cinnamon bun in miniature. Much less bread (or cake if you like) then those.
I've looked at many recipes and their reviews both here on TFL and various other websites (and cook books). I eventually decided on one of the most enriched recipes I found (why cut corners?) and that was Cook's Illustrated's - America's Test Kitchen (ATK) recipe. So I wrote their ingredient list out and divided it into thirds.
I know this is foreign to many, but I only want a bite or two of one or a few before they go stale in a few days. For better or worse, that is how I am with sweets. I like them, but in small quantities, please.
I eliminated ATK's use of Corn Starch in the flour as well as changed a few techniques in the mixing. Here is what I used for the dough. I will give ingredient values as grams, ounces (all by weight, not volume) and 'measures'.
As of yet, I do not have the capacity to weigh under a 2g resolution, so salt, yeast and small things will have to be in teaspoons (ts) for now. Weights (in grams and ounces) are as they appeared on my scale from the measures of ATK's 1/3 recipe. No math involved, other than that.
MINI CINNI BUNS
All Purpose flour 194g (6.8 oz, 1.5 C fluffed)
Sugar 34g (1.2 oz, 1/6 C)
1 egg 50g (1.7 oz)
Butter, Unsalted 56g (2 oz, 4 TB or 1/2 stick US) ATK suggests room temp, mine was fridged
Salt, Diamond Crystal Kosher 1 ts (1/2 ts table salt)
Yeast, SAF Instant 3/4 ts
This is just what I have used (not my final recommendation) based on ATK's recipe.
We'll see what happens. I'll post some pics shortly on the rolling and such.
dobie
As usual, I apologize for the less than crisp images, they are hand held in ambient (and low) light. Also, I apologize that they are not imbedded, but just links to PhotoBucket.
The three images are the roll out, the roll up and the cut up.
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpRolledOut_zpsmjjgtapm.jpg.html
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpRolledUp_zpsbswgzazf.jpg.html
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpCutup_zpsevvdjld8.jpg.html
Knowing that such a small quantity of dough would not do well in the Stand Mixer, I decided to mix by hand.
First, I creamed the egg and sugar together until pale yellow. I only did this because I have seen a friend do so when mixing cake batter and I figured that this was cake-like enough that I would do it. I have no idea what if any effect it will have.
Then I cut the butter into the flour. ATK makes a point of adding the butter to the batter in the Stand Mixer at room temp, chunk by chunk while implying it would have some textural effect. I don't know. But I just took the butter from the fridge and cut it into the flour like one might do for a pie dough (altho then it's usually frozen, not just cold).
I then added the salt and yeast and incorporated them into the flour/butter and then added the milk and creamed egg/sugar. I just mixed it by hand until incorporated and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. It very much resembled a pie crust dough at this point, only slightly moister. It was a tight but pliable dough.
I had planned to knead it by traditional method but the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should just roll it out now, as one might a pie crust. So, I did.
It rolled out very easily. I rolled it by about 2 to 1 longer than wider and very thin. Then I coated it with softened (but not melted) butter as per ATK and applied the filling, leaving about an inch or so uncoated (by butter or filling) where I intended to make my seam. I then sprinkled on the rehydrated (but squished out dry) currants (just little raisins for a little bun), rolled them in the dusty filling and patted it all down into the dough a bit.
MINI CINI FILLING
Light Brown Sugar 84g (3oz, 1/2 C packed)
Cinnamon (1.5 ts)
Salt, Diamond Crystal (1/8 ts, table salt; half that)
Orange Zest (1 ts packed)
mix together
Then, seperately,
Currants 18g (0.7 oz, 2 TB loose) weights before rehydration
Soak currants in warm water for about an hour and then strain/press dry
I was tempted to put some minced up walnuts or pecans in, but figured I'd keep it simple for now.
Then I rolled it up as tight as possible. I brushed water on the seam edge and sealed. Covered with a towel and let sit for 20 minutes.
I buttered a Pyrex dish, put Parchement Paper on the bottom and buttered that. I then cut about 1 inch pieces off the roll with dental floss. This was very easy and worked well. Whether or not they should be touching when proofed was a question, but the size of my dish made the decision easy. They probably will not touch very much. It will be interesting to see how that works out.
Anyway, I covered with plastic wrap and put in a 100F proofer for about an hour or so. And that's where I am right now, about to put them into the fridge for the overnight rise.
dobie
Looks good. I have also seen people use muffin tins for mini cinnamon buns (not that you look like you need to). Yum.
Hi Maverick
These are actually way smaller than even that. I believe they will end up being truely 'bite' size.
I think I do have a 'mini' muffin tin around somewhere, but I was thinking that they might not bake up as moist individually in seperate containers.
Of course, I didn't really pack them edge to edge either (too big a pan, and too lazy to prep a smaller one). I wasn't sure how much rise I would get considering how I mixed the dough up and how thin I rolled it out, but as it turns out, that is not a problem.
I'll post a pic when they're baked.
Thanks for the thought.
dobie
And you're making 'em. :)
Mini
Just think about 'em long enough and you'll have to make 'em.
dobie
Sorry for the delay, a little family emergency yesterday, but all is well now.
As it turns out, there was no need to proof in the fridge overnight. They had pretty well proofed as much as they could in the 1 hr 15 min they spent in the 100F proofer right after cutting. Now I know, one or the other, not both. Even tho it goes against all I have been learning lately, it will probably not be in the fridge. I liked how quick and easy the whole process was (particularly, if I weren't figuring out each step along the way).
I baked them at 325F for 35 min. Even tho neither tops nor bottoms were burnt, I think they were overbaked. They were not as moist and tender as I was hoping for.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Dark (72%) Chocolate 100g
Orange Juice 100g
This is way more than necessary, so cut down the recipe if you want.
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpBaked_zpsrvgnemko.jpg.html
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpCoolChoc_zpssgftrok7.jpg.html
http://s1037.photobucket.com/user/baguette/media/20151203MiniCiniExpCrumb_zpsw2o7hoqz.jpg.html
They did turn out to be 'bite' size (two if you're dainty).
Flavor-wise, they were quite good. Not too sweet at all. The orange seems perfect. The cinnamon could use a boost (1.5ts increased to 2ts next time).
More currants would be good (2Tb increased to 3Tb next time). The chocolate was good. I will probably put some Cardamom in the dough next time, as well.
I will definitely use a smaller pan also, so that they truly abutt each other. They would then proof up rather than out and provide less surface area for moisture loss. I will probably also brush melted butter on the tops just before the bake.
Eventually, I will knead the dough in the traditional method as well. A boost in egg and butter in the dough might be in the works as well (depending on how the next bake works out).
A work in progress to be sure, but a worthwhile venture. For all their faults, they are quite tasty and are getting eaten.
dobie
least 3 times larger and are baked 10 minutes with steam at 375 F then 25 minutes at 350 F for a total of 35 minutes until the inside is 185 F. Your tiny ones even if baked at 325 F would be a bit parched. Your idea of packing them closer together is also a good one. We love babka and cinnamon rolls and think they should be their own food group! You are close and the next bake should be spot on.
Happy baking dobie
dbm
Mostly by my inexerience with the light and sweet side of baking. Shoulda picked up the thermapen, but I was determined to bake by hand and sight (and paid the price).
Thanks for the tip on the temp and the steam (I wondered about steam, didn't act, but will do so next time). I might boost the bake temp up to 350F as well, under a watchful eye.
Next bake, spot on? You (as I) have high hopes. But I think it might take a time or two more than that.
I really do like the size and flavor of them tho. I think that (once refined ) they will be a nice little dessert 'hors d'oeuvre' at a Holiday party.
I might have to change the Chocolate drizzle on half of them (as Girl didn't particularly care for it), and make something else up for the other half (but I'll bet orange/citrus will be involved).
Thank you for the input. I will post back within the week about round Two.
dobie