Cinnamon Rolls question
I'm on a mission to make the best cinnamon rolls I can make. Many already say they are the best they've had but I feel like there's always room for improvement! I feel like I have a pretty good start, I make them with my sourdough starter instead of instant yeast which gives them a deeper flavour and the mild sourness offsets the intense sweetness of the sugary filling. I top them with a cream cheese icing of course. They are soft and gooey, even long after they've cooled. But now I'm wondering if incorporating steam into the baking process (like I do with my sourdough loaves) would make them even more delicious? Either for the oven spring or while proofing? I'm only worried this could lead to a tougher dough rather than a softer one. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
It is generally not needed or beneficial to use steam for enriched dough.
Zuri
Could you share your roll recipe?
I really like the dough recipe from here: https://www.baking-sense.com/2019/02/12/sourdough-cinnamon-buns/
With slight variations for filling, like more cinnamon/spices and 100% dark brown sugar rather than the half white the recipe calls for.
The purpose of steaming dough is to keep both the crust and interior flexible for longer and therby ensuring that it can acheive maximum oven spring before the crust forms. The moist surface of the dough will also form a thinner, crisper, and shinier crust that it would if it were dry.
None of this applies to enriched dough, however, since the fat already keeps the dough flexible in the oven, shininess can be obtained through egg-washes, and a crispy crust isn't usually sought after.