Buttery Citrus Morning Buns
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These morning buns get their bright citrus flavor from fresh orange zest in both the dough and the cinnamon brown sugar filling. An easy laminated dough creates buttery layers that bake up soft and flaky.
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 1¼ cups milk
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest (from one large orange)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (half a stick)
Butter Block
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold from the fridge (2 sticks)
Filling and Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest (from one medium orange)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from one medium lemon)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Warm milk in the microwave for a minute, until it's between 105°F and 115°F (40°C - 46°C). To the milk, mix in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk & yeast mixture with the eggs for one minute. Add the flour, salt, and orange zest and mix with a large spoon for a minute until it forms a sticky dough. Mix in the softened butter for a minute, until it’s incorporated.
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer for 6 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes, until the dough is elastic and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger. (I prefer kneading this dough in my stand mixer, since it’s sticky at first, so I don’t have to add as much flour as when I knead it by hand. If you knead by hand, add a little flour as needed while kneading the dough to prevent it from sticking to your counter or hands.)
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or dinner plate. Let it rest and rise in a warm place (like an empty oven with the light turned on) for 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Make the Butter Block
- While the dough rises, prepare your butter block. On a large piece of parchment paper, place the two sticks of butter side-by-side. Cover the butter with another large piece of parchment paper.
- Use something firm and heavy like a rolling pin to beat the butter into a square block, about 9-inches by 9-inches (23 cm × 23 cm), or about ¼ inch thick. (It’ll probably be more circular at first. Cut off the rounded edges, place them in the middle, and continue beating/rolling the butter.)Wrap the butter block in the parchment paper and refrigerate.
Laminate the Dough
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it's a 14-inch by 14-inch square (36 cm × 36 cm)
- Envelope fold: Place the cold butter block on top of the dough, so the butter block is sitting on a diagonal to the dough's edges. Fold the four corners of the dough over the butter to meet in the center of the butter block. Press the edges of the dough down to seal the seams.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the butter-filled dough into a rectangle about 9-inches wide by 15-inches long (23 cm × 38 cm).
- Letter fold: Fold the two shorter edges in thirds overlapping in the center, like a letter. Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Letter fold: Dust your work surface again lightly with flour. Roll the dough into another rectangle about 9-inches wide by 15-inches long (23 cm × 38 cm). Fold the two shorter edges in thirds towards the middle, like a letter. Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Letter fold: Dust your work surface again lightly with flour. Roll the dough into another rectangle about 8-inches wide by 12-inches long (20 cm × 30 cm). Fold the two shorter edges in thirds in the middle, like a letter. Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shape the Buns
- Grease a muffin tin. Melt the two tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare the filling/coating by rubbing the granulated sugar and brown sugar with the orange zest and lemon zest with your fingers for a minute, until it’s fragrant. Stir in the cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle that’s 12-inches by 16-inches (30 cm × 41 cm). Try to get corners and edges straight so all buns are equal-sized.
- Brush the two tablespoons of melted butter over the dough. Spread three-quarters of the filling (about ¾ cup) in an even layer on the dough all the way to the edges, and use the back of a spoon to gently press it into the dough. Save the rest of the sugar mixture in a shallow bowl for later.
- Starting from a shorter (12-inch-long) edge, slice the dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips (you should get 12 strips).
- Roll each strip of dough in a spiral and tuck the remaining edge underneath. Arrange in the muffin tin, pressing the sides inward slightly if you need to get the spirals to fit in the muffin cups.
- Cover the muffin tin with a kitchen towel, and allow it to proof for 30 minutes at room temperature (not in a warm spot, otherwise the butter in the dough will soften.)
Bake the Buns
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Place a parchment paper-lined baking tray on the oven rack below the muffin tin to catch any spills of melting butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden.
- Cool in the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the buns from the muffin tin and roll in the remaining sugar coating while they’re still warm. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Butter: Splurge on a high-fat European butter like Kerrygold for the butter block. Not only will it add a richer flavor, but it’ll make cleaner layers in the dough.
- Kneading: Keep a small bowl of all purpose flour close when rolling out the dough. It helps to sprinkle just a bit to prevent it from sticking to your counter or rolling pin, so you don’t have to reach back into your flour supply with dirty hands.
- If the butter in your dough is starting to soften or melt at any time, place it back in the fridge for 20 minutes, for the butter to cool and harden.
- If the dough shrinks back as you try to roll it out, let it rest for 5 minutes so the gluten can relax.
- Reheating: Pop leftover buns in the oven on a baking tray for 5 to 8 minutes at 375F.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bun (of 12)Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 380mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 735IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
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