Method

Buns

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then combine the wet ingredients in a second, smaller bowl. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to form a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Peel back the cling film, pick up the edge of the dough, lift it up, and fold it over itself to the centre. Turn the bowl a bit and repeat around the entire lump of dough, grabbing an edge and folding it into the centre. Do this eight times. Then flip the dough so that the folds and seams are on the bottom. Cover tightly again with the plastic, and leave to sit for a further 30 minutes.

Repeat the process of folding, flipping, covering, and resting four more times. The dough will feel quite firm the first time you begin the folding process, but as the gluten develops, it will begin to soften and fold properly. By the final fold, the dough will be perfectly elastic and smooth.

Pull the cling film tight again over the bowl and refrigerate at least overnight (roughly 8 hours). You can, however, also leave it in the fridge for up to 16 to 24 hours — any longer and you risk over-proving.

The next morning, remove the dough from the fridge and leave to prove for another 2 hours. If you’re leaving your dough for longer (between 16 and 24 hours), there is no need to leave the dough out for two hours, it will be ready to use straight out of the fridge. Grease a 20cm round or 20×30 cm rectangular baking dish.

Stir the sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out into a roughly 45 x 30 x 1 cm thick rectangle. Brush the melted butter over the top, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Starting from the long end, tightly roll the dough into a log.

Using unflavoured dental floss or a very sharp knife, slice the log into 12 pieces and arrange in the baking dish, being careful not to overcrowd the dish. If your dish is slightly too small to fit all the rolls, simply bake the leftovers/extras in a ramekin or small dish).

Cover the dish with a towel and leave the buns to rise for about two hours until puffy and almost doubled in size.

Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 180 ºC. Bake the rolls until golden and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.

Glaze

While the buns are cooling, make the glaze. Start by beating the cream cheese until completely smooth, then add the butter and gently beat until combined.

Sieve the icing sugar, and add the vanilla and salt. It should be thick but pourable, so if it’s too thick add a bit of milk, if it is too thin add a bit of confectioner’s sugar.

To serve

Drizzle the glaze over the warm cinnamon buns and enjoy immediately, they really do taste best fresh.