There’s something about revisiting an old kitchen note that feels comforting in its own right.
This beginner’s cinnamon bun recipe has been sitting in the Poppytalk archives since 2015, passed along by an aunt who promised it was no-fail. For anyone who has ever felt a little intimidated by bread making, that phrase alone can be enough to try.
What I love about this recipe, is its’ simplicity and it’s no fail if you follow it closely: there’s also the small victory of a dough that rises, a pan that comes out golden, and a kitchen that smells unmistakably warm. Those are the kinds of successes that keeps me coming back to it.
It’s straightforward. It’s forgiving. And it still feels like a good place to begin.
Why this recipe works for beginners
The original note credits quick-rise yeast as the possible hero. There’s no extra ceremony here, just a clear sequence: mix, beat, knead, rest, shape, rise, bake.
You can turn the dough into cinnamon buns or into loaves of bread, which makes it useful to keep nearby. A quiet weekend recipe, the kind you make once and then remember.
Beginner Bread Dough
Ingredients
5½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 envelopes Fleischmann’s QuickRise Yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1½ cups water
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Method
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt.
Heat the water, milk, and butter until very warm (120–130°F). Stir this into the dry ingredients.
Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer, scraping the bowl occasionally. If you have a bread paddle, use it.
Add 1 cup of flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes, again scraping the bowl from time to time.
Stir in the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
From here, you can choose your path: buns or loaves.
For Cinnamon Buns
Cinnamon mixture
1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup raisins (optional)
Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion into a rectangle about 12 × 7 inches.
Spread softened butter across the surface. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over top (the original notes say approximately 1 tablespoon or more to taste for each). Add raisins if using.
Starting at the short end, roll tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch seams and ends to seal.
Cut into 1½-inch pieces and place in a greased 8- or 9-inch cast-iron frying pan or baking pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
For Bread Loaves
Roll each half of dough into a 12 × 7-inch rectangle and roll up jelly-roll style, pinching the seams.
Place in greased 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, until browned. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the frosting ingredients together using an electric mixer till smooth. Drizzle over the cinnamon buns.
What comes out of the oven is exactly what you hope for: light, fluffy layers, soft in the middle, gently sweet and almost impossible to leave alone. The kind of bake that disappears faster than you planned.
Psssst! If you don’t have time to make a cinnamon bun yourself, and if you’re in Vancouver (or find yourself here) and want one that rivals even the homemade version, one of my favourites is from Flourist. Their sourdough buns are light, tender, and a little tangy — a perfect reminder of how good a cinnamon bun can be.
