Recipe source: out of my head. MasterChef, here I come 😉
In small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of warm water, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, and 1 tbsp yeast. Set aside for a few minutes until the yeast puffs up.
In a medium-size bowl, stir ½ tsp salt into 2 cups unbleached flour.
Add yeast mixture to flour and combine. Turn your dough ball out onto a floured surface for kneading. The dough will be on the wet side at this point, but I think it’s much easier to add more flour to too-wet dough than to add more water to too-dry dough. ymmv. So, that said, have more flour on hand to dust the dough with as you knead. When it gets sticky, add more flour. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.
Coat your dough ball in more olive oil and place in a bowl to rise. (Don’t skip this step or you’ll be sad when you go to remove your risen dough from the bowl and it’s stuck.) Cover dough/bowl with a towel and place in a warm spot to rise. Come back in an hour. Set a timer so you don’t forget.
While you’re waiting, you can prepare the filling. Melt ½ cup butter. Mix in: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cloves, ⅔ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup walnuts.
Ding!
Ok, your dough is now all puffed up. Flour your surface again and turn the dough out onto it. It should just fall out of the bowl, but help it out if it sticks a bit. Using your hands (you don’t need a rolling pin), stretch it out into a rectangular shape. Spread the butter-sugar mixture over the dough. Try to get it all the way to edges.
Starting on one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the dough up. Before you cut the roll, use your knife to (gently) mark 9 evenly-spaced slices. Tip: Start by marking the middle slice, then the 4 on either side. Once you’re happy with your spacing, cut.
Place the slices in a 9″x9″ pan. Cover and let rise again for an hour. (Set your timer again.) Near the end of the hour, preheat your oven to 400°F.
Bake for 15 minutes. Yay, all done. EAT.
But there aren’t any chocolate chips in the filling.
Chocolate chips in cinnamon buns? Is that a thing?
Absolutely!!! It’s how I’ve been making them for more than 20 years. The filling is melted butter spread over the dough, then the brown sugar, than cinnamon, and then sprinkle chocolate chips over it before rolling the dough up. Absolutely fabulous!! Skip the healthy stuff like raisins, cranberries and walnuts and go for chocolate.
Hmm. Sounds good, but I made these for the cranberries. Not skipping them! Might even add more next time 🙂
I was thinking cranberries and Choc chips might be a good combination.
I agree!