Morning Buns

Morning Buns are cinnamon rolls on crack. Why? Because they are made with croissant dough. Once the dough is rolled out, instead of cutting it into triangles for croissants, it is brushed with an egg and then sprinkled with a brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. The dough is then rolled up, cut into circles, and placed in a buttered muffin tin for proofing.  When they come out the oven, they are immediately rolled in sugar.

Morning Buns are out-of-this-world delicious. If you love cinnamon rolls and croissants, these are a great marriage of the two.  The recipe comes from The Art & Soul of Baking. The only “problem” is that it uses a 1/2 recipe of croissant dough, so you need to think of a use for the other half. 😛 I used my other half for pigs-in-a-blanket.

From The Art & Soul of Baking

• 1/2 recipe (about 1 1/2 pounds)  Croissant Dough
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked
• 2/3 cup (5 1/4 ounces) of firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

1. Roll dough into an 18 by 11 by 1/4 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  Position the dough with a long side parallel to the edge of your work surface. Sweep off any flour on the surface  and then brush the entire surface of the dough lightly with the egg.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the long edge furthest from you.
3. Beginning with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Finish rolling the dough onto the border. Pinch all along the seam to seal it. Cut the cylinder into 12 equal pieces. Place each in a generously buttered muffin tin, cut side up.
4. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the buns to rise in a cool room-temperature spot until they have doubled in size–45 to 60 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F with a rack in the center. Chill the buns in the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the buns are a deep golden brown.
6. Place granulated sugar in medium bowl. Using tongs, gently remove buns from tin and roll in sugar making sure to coat all sides. Then transfer to a silicone mat or parchment paper to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I’m submitting this to Yeastspotting, a weekly round-up of yeasted goods and bread.