Cinnamon Date Honey Pistachio Babka Buns Recipes

CINNAMON BUN BABKA

Steps:

• To prepare the dough: In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the mixer on low speed and add the remaining water, sugar, melted margarine, eggs, and salt. Add 2 cups of the flour and turn the speed up to medium; continue to mix until incorporated. Gradually add the remaining flour, and continue to mix until the dough holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl; the dough will be very soft.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, until smooth and elastic. Rub the inside of a mixing bowl with the oil and put the dough in it, turning to coat. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
• To prepare the filling: Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the orange zest, raisins, walnuts, and melted margarine. Fold the ingredients together to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and brush with melted margarine.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 10 by 18-inches. Brush the surface of the dough with melted margarine and spread the filling evenly across. Roll the dough up, jelly roll-style, into a long cylinder, and twist it a few times like your wringing out a towel. Put the dough on the sheet pan and coil it around like a pinwheel, tuck the loose end of the dough under so it doesn't unravel. Brush the top of the dough with more melted margarine. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until your kitchen smells like cinnamon, and the babka is golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack.
• To prepare the orange glaze: Mix the all the ingredients together in a bowl, until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps; drizzle it over the top of the babka while it is still warm.

SOURDOUGH CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Make sure your starter is active - it should be nice and bubbly. If it isn't, feed it and wait until a tsp of the starter floats in warm water.
• Tip all the ingredients for the dough, except the butter, into a bowl and mix with your hands to form a shaggy dough - make sure all the flour from around the bowl is mixed in. Leave the dough in the bowl, covered with a damp cloth, for 30 mins.
• Work the butter into the dough with 1 tsp salt. Once fully combined, tip the dough onto a surface and knead gently for 5 mins until smooth and springy. Form the dough into a ball and sit back in the bowl. Cover and leave somewhere warm-ish for 3-4 hrs until the dough has just about doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, make the filling by beating together the sugar, butter, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Set aside at room temperature to keep soft.
• Butter and line a square baking tin - smaller tins (20 x 20cm) will hold nine buns, larger tins (25 x 25cm) will hold 12. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and roll it to a rectangle roughly 50 x 25cm. Spread the filling over the rectangle so it's completely covered. Roll the dough along the long edge into a tight swiss-roll type sausage. Cut your dough into pieces and arrange them, spiral side-up, in the tin. Leave for 1 hr at room temperature, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cover the tin with foil and bake on a baking tray (this will stop any leaking mixture dripping into your oven) for 30 mins, then remove the foil and bake for 10-15 mins more to brown slightly.
• Meanwhile, mix the golden syrup with 1 tbsp boiling water. As soon as buns come out of the oven, brush them generously with the syrup, then leave to cool a little. Lift the buns out of the tin while still warm and leave to cool on a wire rack. To make the icing, beat the soft cheese, sugar and vanilla until thick but drizzly. Drizzle over the buns when completely cool.