OVERVIEW
My mum is a pastry chef, and from a young age she was teaching me to make desserts and bake cakes. I think it’s really important for any chef to get that down – at least the basics, then you can trial things from there. Making sweet stuff is something I really enjoy. These cinnamon buns are simple to execute but they taste really good.
MAKE YOUR SAUCE AND DOUGH
Place the milk, eggs and yeast in a mixing bowl, then add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Slowly mix, either with a dough hook or by hand, for roughly 12 minutes until a nice smooth dough has formed. Leave for up to 2 hours to double in size – the exact timings will depend on how warm the environment is.
Meanwhile, prepare the toffee sauce by placing all of the ingredients in a pan. Over a low heat, bring everything to a boil, then gently simmer for 8-10 minutes. Set aside for later.
CREATE YOUR BUNS
Separate the dough into 90g balls, then roll each one into a long oval about 2cm thick. Spread soft butter over the top, and sprinkle on a 50:50 mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Starting from one end, roll each piece up into a spiral. Stand the buns upright in either a Cast Iron Skillet or an oven-proof dish and allow to double in size again, making sure to leave gaps in between so they have room to grow.
SET UP YOUR EGG
Set your EGG up for indirect cooking with the ConvEGGtor in place, topped by a grid and a Baking Stone. Your target temperature is 180°C.
Place the pan of buns on the grid and bake for 30-35 minutes. Once cooked, reheat your sticky toffee sauce, pour over the buns and leave on the EGG for 30 seconds more. Serve to the table in the skillet while still warm.
