Sunday, September 30, 2007

DB Challenge September: Cinnamon Buns - Défi de Septembre des PT: Petits Pains à la Cannelle

So the challenge this month was cinnamon buns and sticky buns as hosted by the lovely Marce of Pip in the city, but we were allowed to do only one of them if we wanted, which is how I came to make just the cinnamon buns because I knew there would be no one to eat the sticky buns with me if I made them. Plus, having never eaten or even seen sticky buns, I was somewhat scared off by A.'s stories of eating sticky buns at every school picnic and coming home, along with all his other classmates, with clumps of grass and dirt stuck to his hands. You can find the recipe for both on Marce's blog.
The reason you see no icing on them is that I made the icing (well really only about a quarter of the quantity I admit given the comments of other Daring Bakers on the voluminous amounts left) but when I tasted it my throat immediately closed up, signaling that for whatever reason, I am allergic to icing in this form. I have to say too that when I've bought cinnamon buns before, I always scraped the icing off before eating them or simply left the icing-caked center uneaten, so I wasn't aware that I would react like this to the icing. Since I also have the sweetest tooth in this house by far, I knew if I didn't eat them with icing, no one else would, so the icing was left behind.

En Français: Le défi de ce mois, lancé par la charmante Marce de Pip in the city, était des petits pains à la cannelle et des sticky buns (pains collants), mais nous pouvions choisir d'en faire seulement un des deux, donc j'ai choisi les petits pains à la cannelle en sachant qu'il n'y aurait personne d'autre pour manger les sticky buns avec moi. Et puis, n'ayant jamais mangé ou même vu des sticky buns, j'avais un peu peur d'eux sûrtout en écoutant les histoires de A. détaillant ses aventures avec des sticky buns à chaque pique-nique de l'école, lorsqu'il rentrait, lui et tous ses camarades, les mains couvertes de morceaux de terre et de brins d'herbe qui y étaient collés. Vous pouvez retrouver la recette des deux chez Marce.
Vous ne voyez pas de glaçage dessus parce que quand j'ai fait le glaçage (en fait je n'ai fait qu'un quart de la quantité du glaçage grâce aux commentaires d'autres Pâtissiers Téméraires) et que je l'ai goûté, ma gorge s'est immédiatement refermé et je la sentais commencer à gonfler, m'indiquant que je suis allergique à ce genre de glaçage (c'est généralement une question de la quantité de sucre dedans). Je dois vous dire que quand j'ai acheté des petits pains à la cannelle précédemment, j'ai enlevé le glaçage ou tout simplement laissé le coeur couvert de glaçage sans le manger, donc je ne savais pas que j'étais allergique à ce genre de glaçage. Comme je suis la plus fan de sucre dans cette maison, je savais aussi que si j'en mangerais sans glaçage, personne d'autre n'en mangerait avec, donc je n'ai pas mis de glaçage dessus.
So, now to the making of these cinnamon rolls. First, let me say that I am, as I admitted on the Daring Bakers blog, relatively yeast and bread-retarded, because I never make bread, or things that include yeast in them. The last time I remember making bread of any kind was when I was a kid helping my sister to make regular bread or pizza, and as I recall, the bread we made wasn't very good, although we succeeded at making the pizza dough quite well generally.
Anyway, it was with some trepidation that I embarked on this journey. First issue, I didn't have enough all-purpose flour and the only bread flour I had was brioche flour, which ended up being fine although you're not supposed to cook brioche as long as the buns were meant to, thus the color-differential in the two batches at the bottom of the post. Explanation forthcoming.
Why are there two batches you ask? I'm so glad you asked that question. The answer is that "the back of the yeast packet said it wasn't necessary to dilute the yeast in water before incorporating it into the mix!" so I didn't. On the first batch that is. Below you can see the making of the first batch...

FR: Bon, passons maintenant à l'éxécution de ces petits pains à la cannelle. D'abord, je dois admettre, comme je l'ai déjà fait sur le blog des Pâtissiers Téméraires, que je suis nulle en pain et trucs avec de la levure de boulanger, parce que je ne fais jamais de pain ou de trucs qui font usage de la levure de boulanger. La dernière fois que je me rappèle avoir fait du pain était quand j'étais enfant et que j'avais fait du pain et de la pâte à pizza avec ma soeur, et si je me souviens bien, le pain n'était pas très bon, mais la pâte à pizza était assez réussie.
En tout cas, c'est le coeur battant que j'ai entrepris de faire ces petits pains. Premier problème, je n'avais pas assez de farine tous usages et la seule autre farine que j'avais était de la farine à brioche, ce qui a marché quoique on n'est pas sensé cuire la farine à brioche aussi longtemps que la recette des petits pains préconisait, ce qui fait la différence de couleur entre les deux pâtes en bas du billet. Explication à suivre.
Pourquoi y-a-t'il deux pâtes me demandez-vous? Très bonne question. La réponse est la suivante "le dos du paquet de levure disait qu'il n'était pas indispensable de diluer la levure dans de l'eau avant de l'incorporer au mélange!" donc je ne l'ai pas dilué. Enfin, dans la première pâte. Ci-dessous, le procédé pour la première pâte.
Then after 3 hours had passed and my first batch STILL hadn't risen considerably, I panicked and made a second batch as seen below, although I have spared you the steps since they're the same as in the first batch, with one notable exception the nature of which I'm sure you can guess being that I diluted the yeast in water before mixing it into the batter.

FR: Puis, après que trois heures aient passé sans que ma première pâte lève de manière considérable, j'ai paniqué et fait une deuxième pâte comme vous pouvez le voir ci-dessous, quoique je vous ai épargné les étapes puisqu'elles étaient les mêmes que pour la première pâte, avec la seule exception que j'ai dilué la levure dans de l'eau avant de l'ajouter à la pâte cette fois.
Yes dear friends, below you can see that diluting the yeast in water proved beneficial to the timely rising of the yeast. As you can tell, the first batch is rising too, but at approximately a tenth of the desired speed, and since I was supposed to take these to a friend's the next day, I didn't have time to wait UNTIL the next day to make them.

FR: Oui chers amis, comme vous pouvez le voir ci-dessous, diluer la levure dans de l'eau s'est avéré être une très bonne idée pour que la pâte lève rapidement. Comme vous pouvez le constater, la première pâte lève aussi, mais à un dixième de la vitesse voulue, et comme je devais emmener ces petits pains chez une amie le jour suivant, je n'avais pas le temps d'attendre JUSQ'AU jour suivant pour les faire.
I think the result is conclusive no? Lesson learned - Always dilute the yeast in water first.

FR: Résultat concluant n'est-ce pas? leçon à retirer - Toujours diluer la levure dans de l'eau d'abord.
As to the actual shaping of the buns, it was extremely easy and pretty fun actually.

FR: Le façonnage de la pâte en petits pains était très facile et plutôt amusant en fin de compte.
So now we came to the time where the dough had to"proof". Again, it's hard to communicate my feelings as one who was bread-ignorant, because I didn't know if you were supposed to cover them, and if, given my trials with the yeast, my dough wasn't quite right (but being bread-ignorant I wouldn't know if it was or not), if the proofing would even happen. So following my instinct, I placed them in pans (my oven is tiny and cannot hold a baking sheet, so everything meant to go on a baking sheet has to be strategically placed in a pan), covered them, and hoped for the best.

FR: Alors j'étais donc arrivée au moment où la pâte devait lever une seconde fois. Il m'est difficile de vous expliquer ce que je ressentais, étant une nulle du pain, et vu les problèmes que j'avais eu rien qu'avec la levure, ne sachant pas si ma pâte était convenable ou pas, ne sachant pas si je devais la couvrir à nouveau, et donc ne pouvant pas savoir si la deuxième levée prendrait même place. J'ai donc suivi mon instinct, et les placant dans des moules (mon four est trop petit pour une plaque à four donc si une plaque à four est requise dans la recette, il faut tout placer stratégiquement dans des moules), je les ai couvert et espéré.
And so, in the end, the second batch, which was baked first, has that golden color the bread takes on after spending 25mn in the oven, but because I made these with brioche flour, 25mn was too long and dried the buns out considerably, so the first batch being baked second and for less time (about 15-20mn - on the far right) is not golden on top but the texture of the buns was perfect. Chewy and soft.

FR: Et finalement, la deuxième pâte, qui a cuit en premier, a cette couleur dorée que ces pains prennent après avoir passé 25mn au four, mais comme je les ai fait avec de la farine à brioche, 25mn c'était trop long et les pains avaient plutôt beaucoup séchés, ce qui fait que la première pâte, étant cuit en deuxième et pendant moins longtemps (à peu près 15-20m - à droite) n'est pas dorée à l'extérieur mais la texture des pains est parfaite. Ils sont moelleux à souhait.
I want to thank Marce for this wonderful challenge. I not only learned I could make bread products without botching them, but I love cinnamon buns and no longer have to buy them and scrape the icing off, I can make them at home from now on. And if you don't have a bread machine, it builds muscles you didn't know you had, trust me.

FR:Je voudrais remercier Marce pour ce merveilleux défi. J'ai non seulement appris que je pouvais faire du pain sans que ça soit un désastre total, mais j'adore les petits pains à la cannelle et je n'ai plus besoin de les acheter dans le commerce et d'enlever le glaçage, je peux les faire à la maison dorénavant. Et puis si vous n'avez pas de machine à pain, ça vous fait des muscles que vous ne saviez même pas être là, faites-moi confiance.

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53 comments:

Dolores said...

I love reading the various chronicles of each daring baker challenge because there are always lessons to be learned. For a "yeast retard" (NOT), you taught me a fair bit about the process.

Anonymous said...

I´m with Dolores, you made a fantastic job, Hilda! And I´d say that since you can´t eat the icing, you add a bit more sugar to the dough next time so they are sweet enough. Also good: playing with different spices in the sugar filling, I did them with chai spices and they were awesome.

slush said...

Great job! They look fanastic! xo

Lis said...

What pretty rolls, Hilda! I'm sorry you can't eat the icing but I don't think you missed much - I'm sure the rolls were pretty darned good without them. =)

Fantastic job!

xoxo

Ilva said...

As a cinnamon bun purist I don't think there should be any icing on them! So you did intuitively the right thing! And you made some great buns!

Anonymous said...

Bravo Hilda !!!!! Je ne connaissais pas les Daring Bakers avant que tu ouvres ton blog, mais ton expérience me donne très envie de participer à la prochaine :) Belle réussite pour ces petits pains ! ET je me souviendrai pour le glaçage au cas où ;)

Peabody said...

I love the patterned they formed...so lovely.

KJ said...

Your buns look terrific. You did a great job.

Dagmar said...

Great job! I'm sorry to hear about your allergy, but I agree with Ilva there. It shouldn't be any icing on cinnamon buns so you didn't miss much!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Hilda, how funny, we got there in the end, didn't we. Yours looks wonderful. I love all your pics.
Not good that you couldn't eat the icing - that made them for me.

Anonymous said...

allergic to icing--how tragic! they are eautiful nonetheless!

Brilynn said...

I wonder if next time you could try a cinnamon glaze or something to top the buns with in place of the icing sugar... looks great!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Lovely looking buns Hilda. Nice job!

Nazca said...

Very pretty shapes :) I have tons of icing left over, I'm trying not to take to it with a spoon!

kellypea said...

Yes, isn't working with yeast so much fun? Well, sometimes, not! I love the swirls in yours -- they're perfect! As far as the icing goes, I think I'm going to try a cream cheese based frosting the next time. Maybe that's an option for you. Of course, no calories there, right?

Anne said...

You did a great job - I love the very scientific experiment of dissolving vs. not dissolving :)

sunita said...

Hilda, you've done really well...the buns look lovely...

Anonymous said...

Oh Hilda, what adventures we've had with our yeast. I'm not allergic to icing but I usually scrape mine off too like say in a doughnut. I love the way you arranged your buns.

african vanielje said...

Hilda, your buns look great. I love the idea of baking them in a round cake pan, my trays were a little too large. Great blog btw

Helene said...

Wow, that sucks about the icing, but at least you get to try them in their naked form (ouh, bad jokes for bus)...anyways....Congrats on another challenge completed with gusto!

Laura said...

My dough took forever to rise too but I was too lazy to even think about making another batch. Love your swirly buns!

Anonymous said...

trop beau !! et surement trop bon !! il faut que j'éssaye

Anonymous said...

They look great :)

breadchick said...

Great job on this month's challenge. Like most everyone said, the frosting was super almost over the top sweet. Glad you were able to get the second batch to rise as fast as you needed.

Karen Baking Soda said...

Lovely job! Sorry to hear about the allergy, but they were as good without.

Thistlemoon said...

Yours looks great! I have been afraid of yeast as well - but I think I am really getting over it! I agree with your choice in foregoing the icing. I should have stuck to just maple.

Chris said...

You did a great job! I actually enjoyed my buns naked - okay that came out wrong - but without icing...I was able to get to the cinnamon quicker!

Unknown said...

Way to stick with it!

Unknown said...

I think they were pretty tasty even without the icing - yours turned out so beautifully!!

Dharm said...

Hilda! Great Job and the buns really look fantastic. I know I said this before but I love how you blog bilingually.

Anonymous said...

I think you did a great job! They look neat and delicious :)

Belinda said...

Hilda, they turned out beautifully, and I love all of the photos of each step of the cinnamon roll making journey...very nicely done! :-)

Kelly-Jane said...

Great job! and it so good how you've taken the time to do all the step by step pictures too, great buns :)

Deborah said...

For not having worked with yeast in such a long time - I am impressed! You did a wonderful job!

Rachel said...

They look great! I think that seeing the nice swirl with your's is very pretty.

Anonymous said...

Great photos, Hilda! Your buns turned out beautifully!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Congratulations, they look very good! Great job here! I'm looking forwards to the October challenge...

Cheers,

Rosa

Hélène (Cannes) said...

Rien à redire à tout cela ! Ils sont MA-GNI-FIQUES !
Bonne soirée
Hélène

Alhya said...

ça fait très longtemps que je veux tester ces petits pains, et franchement, là, en voyant les tiens, je me demande vraiment pourquoi je ne l'ai pas encore fait!

Gloria Baker said...

Really looks fantastics and yummy!!!! Thanks Gloria

Anne said...

Such a lovely post! i too agree with you with the icing :) Your buns are simply perfect.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Hilda, I have never enjoyed this fondant icing thing. Just between you and me, it's always seemed like if I wanted to eat powdered sugar . . . well good grief, I never would! Aside from that, you might find another sauce of some kind you would enjoy. What just occurs to me might be lemon curd.
One thing I love and always do is use brown sugar instead of white - more moisture and more flavor.
Your buns are fabulous in that first close up, well they all are! and your side by side comparison is superb! Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Well done ! They look fantastic. I wish mine would turned out looking this good.

marias23 said...

Great buns! I also did the challenge twice because the first time round, my rolls turned out a bit too bready :)

The second time, I kneaded it less, crowded the buns more and underbaked them. Theu came out the way I desired: chewy and tender!

Aoife said...

Allergic to icing? Horror of horrors! At least you got to eat the beautiful buns by themselves.

Julie said...

The more buns, the merrier! I'm glad you tested that icing before drizzling it on! I wonder what you could've been allergic too. =\

Elizabeth said...

I've always disliked icing on cinnamon buns. It's overkill.

Your cinnamon buns look perfect. Of course.

-Elizabeth

Pat said...

You can make cinnamon buns for me anytime!

Unknown said...

Those buns look perfect!

Jeanne said...

These always remind me of Sunday mornings growing up - they were a staple at our breakfast table.

Ted said...

Leaving a comment for Haiti.

Anonymous said...

comment comment. thanks for the good work.

Anonymous said...

RTMFH

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