How to Make Cinnamon Braided Buns

1. Activate the Yeast

Warm the milk until it is lukewarm, not hot.

Add a teaspoon of the sugar and stir in the yeast. Let it stand for about 5–10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.

If you're using instant yeast, you can generally mix it directly into the flour instead.

2. Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt and vanilla sugar.

Add the whole egg, egg yolk and activated yeast mixture.

Using the dough hook, begin kneading on low speed until the ingredients start coming together.

Add the softened butter gradually rather than all at once.

Continue kneading for approximately 8–10 minutes, until you have a smooth, soft and elastic dough.

Don't be tempted to add lots of extra flour. A softer dough is what helps give these buns their tender texture.

3. Let It Rise

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it somewhere warm for approximately 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.

4. Make the Cinnamon Filling

While the dough rises, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until you have a smooth, spreadable paste.

I like a generous cinnamon layer because some of that buttery sugar caramelizes around the edges while the buns bake — possibly the best part. 😃

5. Roll and Fill

Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

Roll it into a large rectangle, approximately 40 × 30 cm (16 × 12 inches).

Spread the cinnamon-butter filling evenly across the entire surface, going almost all the way to the edges.

6. Fold the Dough

Instead of rolling the dough into a log like traditional cinnamon rolls, fold the rectangle into thirds, like a letter.

Gently press or roll over it once with your rolling pin to even out the layers.

Now cut the folded dough into strips approximately 1½–2 cm (½–¾ inch) wide.

And now comes the fun part.

7. Twist and Knot

Take one strip and gently stretch it slightly.

Twist the strip several times to expose all those beautiful cinnamon layers.

Wrap the twisted dough around your fingers and tuck the end underneath to create a loose knot.

Don't worry about making every bun identical.

Actually, I think they're prettier when they're not. ❤️

That handmade, slightly different shape is exactly what gives them their bakery-style appearance.

Place each finished bun onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some room between them.

8. Second Rise

Cover the buns loosely and let them rest for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to:

200°C / 390°F

9. Brush and Bake

Brush the tops gently with beaten egg.

Bake for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown.

Because ovens vary and these buns have lots of exposed cinnamon-sugar layers, start checking them around the 10-minute mark.

Allow them to cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar.

My Tips for Soft Cinnamon Buns

Don't overheat your milk. You want it pleasantly warm, not hot, so you don't damage the yeast.

Give the dough enough time to rise. Instead of watching the clock obsessively, look for the dough to approximately double in volume.

Keep the dough soft. Adding too much flour while kneading or rolling can make the finished buns heavier.

Use softened butter for the filling. Melted butter can run everywhere when you start folding and cutting the dough.

Don't stress about the knots. The first one might look questionable. 😂 By the third one you'll understand the motion, and after baking they all somehow look beautiful.

Why I Love This Shape

Of course, you could use this dough and filling to make ordinary cinnamon rolls.

But look at them. 😃

The twisting creates all those little exposed layers of dough, cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. Some stay soft inside while others become slightly caramelized and crisp around the edges.

And every bun comes out a little different.

That's exactly what makes them special.

How to Serve Them

These are at their absolute best while they're still slightly warm.

Serve them with coffee or tea for breakfast or an afternoon treat. They're also beautiful enough for brunch, Christmas morning, a holiday baking tray or when you're having people over.

Honestly, though?

In my house, putting a tray of warm cinnamon buns on the counter and expecting them to survive until the next day is probably optimistic. 😂

How to Store Cinnamon Braided Buns

Keep leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 2 days.

To bring back that fresh-baked softness, warm one briefly before serving.

You can also freeze the baked buns. Let them cool completely, freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag, then thaw and gently warm before serving.

Christmas baking