Week 3: Cinnamon pinwheels

This week, we're making Cinnamon pinwheels!

As you can see, the recipe calls for the standard GW2 dough, which is a mixture of water, flour and butter. This dough produces what I would call 'cinnamon bites'. Below my attempt at the Guild Wars version of this recipe, you will find a more elaborate recipe where I took the liberty of substituting the water for milk, adding sugar, and adding yeast. This version produces real cinnamon buns, that are deliciously chewy and if you like your pastry sweeter, can easily be combined with whatever frosting you like. Absolutely delicious!

Cinnamon pinwheels - GW version

Ingredients (makes 16 bites):

250 g flour

125 ml water, lukewarm

15 g melted butter

Sugar

Cinnamon

Making the buns:

Sieve the flour into a bowl. Add the water and 1 tblsp melted butter. Knead to a supple dough. If the dough won't come together, add a little bit of water or melted butter. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours, up to a whole night.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade. Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Use as much as you like - I find 3 tblsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon a good balance and enough for 16 bites. On a lightly floured workspace, roll out the dough to a rectangle (about half as wide as it is long) of 1/2 cm thick. Spread the melted butter over the dough, keeping a little bit back for later. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the dough, but keep a little bit back for later. Roll up the dough tightly lengthwise, as if rolling a cigar. Cut into 18 pieces - the outer 2 pieces are usually uneven and not properly rolled, so I usually discard these as they will not bake at the same pace as the other pieces. Place the pieces on a spiral side on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Press on each piece a bit to make it slightly denser. Spread the remaining butter over the spirals. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the spirals. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The outside will be crisp and the inside will be a bit more chewy.

Cinnamon pinwheels - Fancy version

Ingredients (makes 16 rolls):

500 g flour

1 egg

100 g unsalted butter

250 ml milk (preferably whole milk)

12 g ready dried yeast*

180 g sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Salt

*: Or however much yeast you need as stated on the packaging for 500 g of flour.

Activate the yeast if necessary according to the instructions on the packet (keep in mind that sugar and milk you use for this come out of the total amount for the recipe). Beat together 100 g sugar, salt, and 80 g butter on medium-high speed. Whip in the egg until smooth. Add the flour, yeast (don't forget to whip the activated yeast mixture before adding to prevent lumps!), and milk. Mix the flour into the mixture by hand until the dough forms a ball. Knead until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky (this may take 10-15 minutes). You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly coat a bowl with flour, place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let sit at room temperature, away from any drafts and covered with a warm damp tea towel, for approximately 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

When continuing with the dough, beat into it with a fist first. Then transfer to a counter top dusted with flour. Roll out to a rectangle about 45x25 cm. Melt the rest of the butter. Spread a thin layer of butter over the dough (you should have some butter left). Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, reserving a bit for the finishing touch, then roll into a cigar-shaped log. Cut into 16 pieces.

Place the buns at least 2 cm apart on a baking tin lined with baking parchment. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes. The pieces will grow (though in my experience proofing yeast dough rarely doubles it in size again as recipes often state)  You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C (350F) with the oven rack in the middle shelf. Before placing the buns in the oven, drizzle the rest of the melted butter over the buns and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over them. Bake the buns for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tip: Don't drizzle butter and cinnamon sugar over the buns, but try a bit of honey!

Tip: You can replace the cinnamon with any spice you like - powdered aniseed, allspice, ginger powder, etc.