These Cinnamon Bun Twists are made with a small batch brioche recipe and do not need a mixer! These braided cinnamon buns are easy to make and have a soft dough and an easy cinnamon bun filling. They are made in a muffin pan for perfectly shaped cinnamon twists!
Table of contents
- Cinnamon Twists
- How to make Cinnamon Bun Twists
- No Mixer Small Batch Brioche
- How to Twist Cinnamon Buns
- Tips to make dough ahead of time
- How to roll out a nice even rectangle of dough
- How to get a clean cut on cinnamon buns
- Doubling this recipe
- Can these buns be made with other fillings?
- FAQ for Cinnamon Twists
- For more Small Batch recipes, check out:
- Recipe For Cinnamon Bun Twists
Cinnamon Twists
Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these Cinnamon Bun Twists with you! When I was working on my small batch no mixer brioche recipe, I wanted to try making a few thing with it to put it through its paces. There are still some small batch cinnamon rolls and doughnuts coming your way. However I wanted to see if it could hold up to being made into a twisty cinnamon bun and I am happy to report that it certainly can! These Cinnamon Bun Twists are much easier to make than they look. They are super soft and filled with a simple cinnamon bun filling. I finished them just with some powdered sugar, but you could also add some Swedish Pearl Sugar to them too if you like!
How to make Cinnamon Bun Twists
These Cinnamon Twist Buns have a few steps to them, but they are super easy to do.
- Make the dough. These twisted cinnamon buns are made with my small batch brioche recipe. You can either make this in a mixer, or you can do it by hand. The first rise is done in the fridge to help make the dough easier to roll out.
- Roll the dough out and spread with the filling. Fold the dough up into thirds (see video demonstrating this)
- Cut the dough into strips - you should get 8 strips from the dough, one for each bun. Chill the strips down.
- Braid the buns. There is a better explanation of this further down the post. It's super simple but they look so, so good. I recommend starting with the wonkiest strip first just so you can use one to practice.
- Give the buns a second rise, then brush with egg wash and bake. This recipe is baked at 375°f / 190°c, a slightly higher temperature than other recipes, as the buns are only small.
- Finish with powdered sugar. You could add a sugar syrup here too if you wanted, or a glaze, but I love them plain.
No Mixer Small Batch Brioche
These buns use my small batch brioche. You can use a mixer for this if you like, but I wanted to develop a recipe for a brioche that can be made by hand. Not everyone has a mixer, and sometimes it's fun to do by hand too. I think that making bread by hand really gives you a good idea of how the dough is meant to look. It will get sloppy when you add the butter in but don't worry - it will come together.
- Combine dry ingredients - This brioche is pretty standard when it comes to ingredients. All-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt.
- Add wet ingredients - One egg, lightly beaten, and some milk goes in. The butter is incorporated later.
- Bring together - You want to develop some strength in the dough here. This kneading process will take about 8-10 minutes. Bring the dough together in your bowl then transfer to a work surface and work the dough until it is soft and smooth, and when you press lightly with your finger, the indentation springs back.
- Add the butter - The butter is added to the dough. This step will get super sloppy. Don't worry though. It will come together. Keep kneading and mixing until it comes together. Then give a few more minutes of mixing just to ensure it is mixed in. You want it to bounce back nicely when you press with a finger.
- Leave to rise - This dough for this purpose works best with a cold rise. I give it some time on the counter first to kick start the rise and then pop it into the fridge.
A plastic or metal bench scraper will be super helpful when you are incorporating the butter in. Just keep scraping up the excess butter and squishing it onto the dough. It will come together.
How to Twist Cinnamon Buns
The method for making these I got from Richard Bertinet, although I have seen it a few places before too. Basically you fold the dough up, cut strips, and braid them up. The braid then gets rolled up into a twisted cinnamon bun!
- Cut the folded dough into strips, each about 4cm wide. Chill the strips for 15 minutes or so to help firm them up.
- Cut the dough into three strips, leaving one end (about 1cm worth) intact
- Braid the three strips until you have a single braid.
- Starting with the intact end, roll the braid up into a ball.
- Shape lightly if needed and then place in the muffin pan.
Tips to make dough ahead of time
There are a few ways that you can break up the workload when you are making brioche based things. The main one is to make your dough ahead of time. This Small Batch Brioche dough does well with an overnight cold rise. Rising the dough in the fridge slows down the rising process. This means you can leave it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, rather than your schedule being dictated by when they dough is ready to be rolled out.
Working with cold dough is also significantly easier. Chilling the dough firms up the butter, making the dough a little firmer to work with but still pliable and easy to roll out. I find that starting with a cold dough means you can roll out dough much more evenly, and also get it thinner, making it easy to get the right sized rectangle of dough for making these cinnamon twisted buns.
This dough needs a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge to rise. Standing it on the counter to give it a little kick start helps a lot. I often make it a day ahead if I can. Ideally you do not want to leave it more than 24 hours in the fridge on the first rise, however I have left it longer before and it has been ok too.
How to roll out a nice even rectangle of dough
Rolling out a nice even rectangle of dough can be really tricky. I've been there. There are a few wee tricks though that can make it a little easier.
- Shape your dough into a rough rectangle. The dough will probably have somewhat of a round shape from being in a bowl. This is fine if you want round dough. However, if you start with a rectangle you are more likely to have a more even rectangle of dough when you roll out. Squish the dough into a rectangle shape. I like to use a bench scraper to make the sides nice and straight.
- Flatten your dough slightly with your rolling pin. If you start rolling straight away, the dough will roll out unevenly. Instead, flatten it lightly with your rolling pin. Press down on it a few times to flatten it, starting at the bottom and working your way up, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process again. What this does is gives you a larger flatter piece of dough to start rolling out, which is easier to keep an even thickness.
- Square off your rectangle as you go. As you are rolling out, pause a few times to square off the edges of your dough. Again, I like to use a bench scraper for this. It is easier to stop a few times and see what is happening than roll out all in one go and then try and fix any unevenness.
How to get a clean cut on cinnamon buns
Chilling the dough down once it has been cut into strips will help you get a nice clean cut on your dough. This gives both the dough and the filling a chance to firm up a little. I use the fridge but you can also use the freezer for about 5 minutes if you're in a rush.
Make sure that you wipe the blade of your knife between cuts too if needed.
Doubling this recipe
This recipe can easily be doubled. When it comes to rolling out, you can go about this two ways. You can either divide the dough into two and roll out two rectangles, or you can double one dimension of the dough and roll yourself out a 64x36cm rectangle. You want to keep the other dimension the same. When it comes to folding if you have doubled the dough, fold from the long end so you end up with a folded rectangle that measures 12cmx64cm.
Can these buns be made with other fillings?
Yes, you can fill these with whatever you like. However - remember that they need a lot of twisting, so you don't want to go with anything too slippery. I tried testing these with Nutella and it was a huge mess. If you wanted to use a chocolate filling, I would recommend my espresso chocolate babka filling (a half batch should work well). Make sure you chill the strips in the fridge to let the filling set up.
If you don't want to use cardamom in the filling you can also just replace it with cinnamon. You could also spread the dough with some room temperature butter then sprinkle it with some sugar which has had lemon zest and vanilla rubbed into it. Just don't use Nutella. Trust me on this one.
FAQ for Cinnamon Twists
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here
Yep! Pop everything except for the butter into the mixer and mix for 10 min until the dough comes together and is smooth, then add butter and mix to incorporate then give it a further 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Yes. Ideally you want to start with chilled dough when you roll it out though. So give the dough 20 min on the counter then transfer to the fridge for about 2 hours to give it a chance to rise.
You don't have to but you need to roll out the dough quite thin before spreading with the filling. It's much much easier to do this with chilled dough. Skip that step if you want but you've been warned.
Yes! You can do whatever you like here. They would be delicious sprinkled with some Swedish pearl sugar before they go in the oven, or you could glaze them babka style with a sugar syrup as soon as they come out. I just used powdered sugar, but these would also be good with a simple icing.
For more Small Batch recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
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A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Using the double / triple function in the recipe card
You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
Recipe For Cinnamon Bun Twists
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Cinnamon Bun Twists
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 buns 1x
- Category: Cinnamon Buns
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Cinnamon Bun Twists are made with a small batch brioche recipe and do not need a mixer! These braided cinnamon buns are easy to make and have a soft dough and an easy cinnamon bun filling. They are made in a muffin pan for perfectly shaped cinnamon twists!
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 290g all-purpose flour
- 30g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (3.1g) instant yeast
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- ½ tsp (2g) salt
- 120g whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg (60g), lightly whisked
- 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Cinnamon Cardamom Filling
- 70g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 105g light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch of salt
Egg wash - 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
Powdered sugar to finish, optional
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- Place all ingredients except for the butter into a medium bowl. Bring together into a rough dough, then turn out onto a work surface (do not add more flour).
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. It will start off as very rough, then will come together and become smooth and elastic, and when pressed lightly with a finger, the dough should spring back slightly.
- Flatten the dough out into a rough rectangle and add the butter to the surface of the dough. This part will get sloppy, so make sure that you have a bench scraper nearby. Incorporate the butter into the dough by squeezing it and kneading it in. Keep scraping any excess butter back onto the dough and kneading it in. Don’t freak out. It will all work together.
- Once the butter has incorporated into the dough, knead for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and then transfer to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave to sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to kick start the rising process, then transfer to the fridge to rise for at least two hours, and up to overnight.
ASSEMBLY
- Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until well incorporated.
- Grease a muffin pan with melted butter and a brush - you need 8 holes of the pan filled. If you are worried about the buns sticking, you can place a small piece of parchment paper into the cup of each pan to help with removal. I like to leave a gap between rolls where I can - with 8 holes in a 12 cup muffin pan there will be some with rolls next to each other.
- Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle by patting down and squaring off the edges with a bench scraper. Starting with the dough in a rectangle means you are more likely to get a nice even rectangle of dough when you roll it out.
- Roll the dough to a rectangle that is 32x36cm (12.5 x 14 inches).
- Spread the dough evenly with the filling using an offset spatula. Take it right to the edges.
- Holding one of the SHORT ends of the dough, fold the dough into thirds like you would a business letter. To do this, take one end and fold it to ⅔ of the way across, then fold the other third over it. (see video at top of post for demonstration).
- You should now have a rectangle of dough that is 12cm (4.7 inches) wide and 32 cm long.
- Pat the rectangle of dough out gently just to make sure there are no air bubbles.
- Arrange the dough so one of the short sides is facing you. Cut the dough into 8 strips, each 4cm (1.5") wide (so you will be left with 8 strips each measuring 4x12cm / 1.5x4.7"
- Place the strip of dough onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. This helps firm up the dough and set the filling, and makes the next step a little cleaner.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. Working with one piece of dough at a time, cut the strip of dough into 3 pieces, leaving an end intact (see images). Braid the strips of dough together to form a single braid.
- Starting with the clean joined end, roll the whole braid up into a ball. Place into one of the cavities of the muffin pan.
- Repeat the process with the remaining strips of dough until you have 8 buns.
- Cover the pan lightly with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm spot until the buns are puffy and when pressed lightly with a finger, the dough an indentation is left that slowly springs back.
BAKING
- Toward the end of the rising period for the buns, preheat the oven to 375°f / 190°c.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the risen buns, and brush the tops with egg wash, being careful not to drip too much down the sides or brush too much of the filling onto the dough.
- Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown. If you like, you can measure the temperature of the buns with a probe thermometer inserted into the dough. Fully baked dough reads at about 190°f / 90°c.
- Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack soon after removing them, so that they do not stick to the pan.
- Leave to cool on the wire rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. You can rewarm briefly in the microwave if you like.
Notes
Twisting method from Richard Bertinet
Keywords: Brioche, Cinnamon Buns, Cinnamon Rolls, Small Batch, Twisted Cinnamon Buns
Comments
so much fun to do this by hand!
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love that this is small batch! thanks so much 🙂
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I have them resting in the fridge already braided for tomorrow's breakfast. If I could trust one single person in the world when it comes to recipe you've earned the spot! I'll let you know how it turned out <3
Aw yayyyy you are too sweet!
Hey! so really want to know how it turned out, I want to make them ahead as well and do the final rise in the fridge as I have not much time in the morning! Please let me know how it worked 🙂
I can't remember if it was you that did this and it worked out, if not, then yes, someone tried this and it worked fine! x
Can we use stand mixer for this recipe ?
Hi! Yesss it can - please check the FAQ part of the blog post where I have instructions for this!
What a delight! I used my stand mixer (because I hate cleaning up). It's about 10 degrees Celsius where I live at the moment so I proofed the dough on the bench and chilled the strips before plaiting and an overnight proof of the buns on the bench and they were perfect!
Yay so happy you loved! x
This is 100% my fault for starting this recipe and not reading it thoroughly: I saw "total time 2 hours and 30 minutes," not realizing that it takes over 2 hours and 40 minutes total of rising/chilling time - not including the prep. I started this a little late in the day. With that said, if I run out of time today, can I take this all the way to step 14 in "assembly," and put it in the fridge until the morning to bake? Thank you!
Ah yes sorry if that’s confusing! My recipe card makes it tricky to include “plus chilling time” etc in there so it’s best to check the actual recipe for times as I can’t add all Info into that wee part. I haven’t tried that but it might work? The filling may leak out in the fridge though. I would leave the dough overnight and assemble tomorrow if you can 🙂
Whoops forgot to add you’ll also have to wait again for them to rise / come to room temp before baking if you shape and stick in the fridge overnight so I usually just assemble them the day of.
Thank you!
Really looking forward to making these this weekend! Quick question: Could I substitute golden caster sugar in place of the granulated sugar in the dough? And for the filling?
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Hi! you can in the dough but the filling really needs the brown sugar if possible!
Made these this morning and WOW!
I love the detail and precision in your recipes, I thrive using these as they are dependable and consistent. Thank you so much!
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this is perfect for a breakfast with a cup of coffee! 10/10!
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So happy you love!
Such a great recipe - both for its flavor and presentation. This is a cinnamon (& cardamom!) roll that can stand alone and doesn’t need any frosting!
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So so happy you love!
These are not only one of the prettiest things I've ever baked, but they are also perfectly delicious. Thank you for taking the time to create small batch recipes!
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Thank you so much for the Instagram reel to show how to make these. They turned out AMAZING!
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So happy you loved! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
My first time making brioche and I will never use another recipe!!! These were so easy and SO DELICIOUS! They definitely were a flat favourite and looked like I was way more skilled than I really am with the braided design which is always great! 😂❤️ We added Erin's glaze on top of half and icing sugar on the other half and they were equally amazing.
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Another wonderful recipe from Erin!
I made these in the weekend and they were the bomb. I used my mixer, as I recently fractured my wrist and found that easier. I also doubled the recipe and just did the filling and construction in two batches. They were really yum and still good the next day. Next time I'm going to try them with tomato pesto, as a savoury version.
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I made these buns with the leftover donut dough (Erin's custard donuts are amazing!) and I also used some leftover speculaas filling. Once they were cooked I froze them straight away as a freezer stash. I just pulled one out and heated it up and oh my goodness - they're so, so good.
The brioche dough is so versatile and it will be my go to recipe from here on in.
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I couldn't wait to try this recipe once you posted it, and it did not disappoint!! Mixing the dough was certainly interesting... I was glad of your reassurances that it would come together in the end! Beautiful twisting method and absolutely delicious
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These are such fun to make and equally delicious! Kneading in the butter by hand made me smile the entire time. The dough is so soft and light. No wonder it's your go to base for everything. Guess it's mine now too! I had prepared for mental gymnastics with the braiding, but it's so straightforward. I did rewatch your saved Stories on Instagram to give myself a primer before going for it. Tastiest cinnamon roll/bun I've ever had!
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Hi Erin! Will this work if I use Almond Milk? That’s all I have in my house but I have a cinnamon roll craving 😂
Hi! Sorry I only just saw this! it should work ok!
Hi Erin,
Can I use the brioche dough recipe which is used for making brown butter cinnamon rolls, if no - Then how do you substitute instant yeast with active dry yeast.
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Mayanka
These are DELICIOUS! And insanely fun and impressive looking! I did have a bit of an issue of the filling bubbling out and spilling over the muffin tin a little bit. It didn’t affect the end product, i scooped the buns promptly out and onto a cooling rack so the sticky mess got left behind. I even did more than the time called for chilling. Any ideas on what could have gone wrong?
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So happy you loved! No mine did that too - just pop them out and scrape that off! 🙂
Hi Erin! If I make this using a jumbo muffin pan, how many strips should I cut it into? Thanks
I'm not too sure sorry! The dimensions will be different but I'm not sure what they will be as I have only made it as written. Sorry!