Chefs Binge · British · Serves 12 buns
Dirty Chai Latte Cinnamon Buns
Soft dirty chai cinnamon buns with cardamom and warm chai spices in the filling, finished with a cream cheese icing made with espresso and a squeeze of lemon.
Prep
25 min
Cook
22 min
Total
2 hrs 32 min
Serves
12 buns
Per serving
430 kcal
Ingredients
500 g strong white bread flour - (11.5 to 12.5% protein works best)
7 g instant yeast
60 g caster sugar
8 g salt
250 ml full fat milk - warm
1 large egg
60 g unsalted butter - soft
80 g butter - very soft
120 g light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cloves - or allspice
1 Pinch of salt
150 g cream cheese - room temp (I used Philadelphia)
30 g butter - room temp
120 g icing sugar
1 espresso shot - or strong coffee, cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 Pinch salt
½ lemon - juice only - to taste
Equipment
Stand mixer with dough hook · Deep baking tray or tin (approx. 20×30 cm) · Rolling Pin · Baking Parchment · Bench Scraper
Method
1
Make the dough. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add milk and egg and mix to a soft dough, then knead until smooth and elastic. Knead in the butter and keep going until fully incorporated. Cover and leave to rise until doubled (about 60 to 90 minutes).Quick proof tip: for a faster rise, place the covered bowl in a sink with a little warm water (bath-warm, not hot).
2
Make the filling. Beat the very soft butter with the light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and a pinch of salt to a spreadable paste. Soft, not melted: melted butter runs out of the spiral as the buns bake and pools in the bottom of the tin.
3
Shape. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread filling over the surface. Roll up tightly, slice into 12 pieces, and place in a parchment-lined 20 x 30 cm tin, just touching.
4
Second proof + bake. Let the buns rise until puffy and touching (around 60 minutes), then bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 22 to 27 minutes. Golden on top is not the whole test: twelve buns just touching in a 20 x 30 cm tin are deeper than most, and the middle bun should read about 88°C. If the tops darken before the middles are set, tent with foil and give them another 5 to 8 minutes.
5
Ice. Beat cream cheese and butter smooth, mix in icing sugar, then add espresso, vanilla, salt, and a little lemon juice to taste. Spread over warm buns.
Chef’s notes
- Do not add flour while kneading. An enriched dough is meant to be tacky, and flour worked in here is the usual reason cinnamon buns bake dry.
- Soft butter in the filling, not melted. Melted butter runs out of the spiral and pools in the tin.
- Cut them with thread or dental floss rather than a knife, for clean rounds.
- A 20 x 30 cm tin holds twelve just touching, which gives soft sides and a bit of height. Judge doneness by the middle bun rather than the edges: about 88 C in the centre. If the tops darken first, tent with foil and give them another 5 to 8 minutes.
- Ice them warm, not hot, about 10 minutes out of the oven.
- Airtight at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze un-iced for 2 months. Not the fridge.
Per serving Calories 430 kcal · Protein 8 g · Carbs 52 g · Fat 22 g · Saturates 13 g · Fibre 2 g · Sugar 22 g · Sodium 320 mg
Recipe © Chef Łukasz Babral · chefsbinge.com · for personal use only
chefsbinge.com/dirty-chai-latte-cinnamon-buns
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