What could be better than one fluffy cinnamon roll? How about an over-the-top cinnamon bun with two spirals! The homemade dough comes together quickly with instant yeast, and has a lovely flavor and texture, thanks to the combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. A bit of pumpkin pie spice in the filling adds a kick of fall flavor. While the rolling technique might look daunting, it’s quite easy to perfect. The result is a beautiful cinnamon bun with epic layers and a double swirl.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 rolls |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note), plus more for dusting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- For the dough: Add the warm water, vegetable oil, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Mix a few rotations to combine, then add the yeast and start to add the whole wheat and all-purpose flours 1 cup at a time. Mix on low speed until a loose dough ball forms. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough is soft but not sticky, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a neat ball and place in the greased bowl. Cover with a lid or clean dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the temperature outside and in your kitchen.
- For the filling: Meanwhile, grease the bottom and sides of 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Mix the butter, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough in half. Roll out half of the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick); set aside. Roll out the remaining dough into the same size rectangle. Spread the spiced-sugar butter over the surface of one of the dough rectangles, without leaving a border. Place the other dough rectangle directly on top. Use the rolling pin to roll over the pieces of dough once, to ensure they’ve adhered to each another.
- Cut the dough lengthwise into 6 long strips (each about 2 inches wide and 18 inches long). Start to roll one of the strips tightly until you’ve reached halfway down the strip. Flip it over, then tightly roll the other side to create an “S” shape/double-spiral roll. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough. Add the rolls to the greased baking dish spirals facing up. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until the rolls have puffed slightly, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake until the rolls are a deep golden brown and the sugar mixture is bubbling all over, about 30 minutes. Let the rolls cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- For the topping: While the rolls are cooling, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and combined. Add an additional 1 teaspoon milk if the glaze is too thick (it should be pourable). Spread over the rolls while still warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 761 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 131 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 56 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 572 mg |