Honey Buns
Homemade Honey Buns, just like the kind you had as a kid! These are even better, with a soft, pillow-y pastry dough, a spiral of cinnamon filling, and a sweet honey glaze. Perfect as an afternoon snack, or an easy on-the-go breakfast.
This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with White Lily Flours. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
Omg you guys. I had pneumonia!
Sorry for the long absence (and silence!) but I felt like I had one foot in the grave. Have you ever had pneumonia? Try to avoid it if you can. It’s not fun.
It all started early last week when my older son started running a little fever. I took care of him, as moms will do, and he was better in a day and a half. I knew I would get it too (I always do!) and I was grateful to know that it would be a quickie. Little did I know…
I was in bed for 3 straight days with fever and aches. Somehow my body turned his little quickie virus into the flu. I just couldn’t wait for that fever to break! I was hurting from head to toe. Well, it finally did, but no sooner did that end than the coughing began. Every time I tried to clear my lungs it felt like I was getting stabbed with knives. Everybody kept telling me to go to the doctor, but I figured there was not much they could do since it was probably viral. So I waited, and waited, and waited, and things just weren’t getting better. I still could barely sit up in bed after 5 days so I headed to urgent care, and sure enough! Pneumonia. They put me on an antibiotic and now I’m slowly starting to get my strength back. Phew!
I’m so glad for it, because I have had these little treats on my mind for so long! I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen and start working out the recipe.
Do you remember honey buns? These were always a staple at my house. My mom would keep a box in the freezer and after school I would pop one in the microwave for a snack. Soft, pillow-y yeast dough, with a little cinnamon swirl and a sweet honey glaze… they were such a comforting treat!
This version is even better than the original, because I made it with White Lily Enriched All-Purpose Wheat Flour and White Grape Seed Flour Blend. There’s just something about the taste of this flour- I love it. It’s sweet and a little nutty, and I know this sounds weird but it has a little bit of a raisin-y flavor that is just perfect in this recipe.
The dough comes together really easily, and you’ll love the sweet and yeasty aroma. But I must warn you- after that first proof it really has a mind of it’s own. It’s super elastic and stretchy and you’ll almost think it will never roll out flat. You just have to show it who’s boss. Keep at it and eventually it will relax.
The thinner you can get it, the better. You want a really tight spiral so you get a nice pastry-to-filling ratio. At only an inch thick, and about two inches in diameter, these start out the size of cookies. But after they proof and bake, they puff up to a perfect little portion.
I’ve made quite a few different recipes now with the new line of White Lily premium flour blends. There are four altogether, Red Grape Seed, White Grape Seed, Almond, and Whole Wheat. All of them are made with whole wheat from Shepherd’s Grain, and all of them are traceable back to the family farm that grew the wheat. You can read more about that here. The flour blends are certified non-GMO. I live in the Northeastern part of the country and I don’t have any trouble finding these flours in my regular supermarket. You can also purchase them online!
Honey Buns
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/3 cup (83.33 ml) warm water
- 1/4 ounce (7.09 g) dry active yeast, (1 packet)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (2.5 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) White Lily Enriched All-Purpose Wheat Flour and White Grape Seed Flour Blend, (you may need as much as 2 1/4 cups)
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (3.5 tablespoons) water
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Place the honey and water in a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Set aside and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes.
- Combine the oil, buttermilk, egg yolk, and salt in a liquid measuring cup.
- Stir into the yeast/honey mixture.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Continue adding flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough starts to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl (you may not need to use all of the flour). Knead the dough for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to proof in a warm place for 2 hours.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and whip together on medium-high speed until fluffy.
- Punch down the dough and roll out to a rectangle shape, about 20-inches by 10-inches.
- Spread the butter mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides.
- Starting on one of the longer sides, carefully roll the dough into a log.
- Trim off the ends, and cut the log into 1-inch thick slices.
- Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Allow to proof for 30 minutes, then bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 12 minutes.
- Cool completely and cover with glaze (recipe follows).
To make the glaze:
- Stir the powdered sugar, honey, and water together in a small bowl.
Can I use regular all-purpose wheat flour? I can’t find the flour you are referring in the recipe 🙁
Yes absolutely!
I JUST WANT TO USE THE WHITE LILY ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, SO WHAT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FLOUR TO USE
Please look at step 4 of the recipe instructions. The amount of flour you need may vary based on a lot of different factors, but there are indicators listed there that will help you to know when to stop adding flour. Also there is a note at the end of the recipe card stating that regular flour can be substituted for the flour blend listed, in equal measure.
Just made these buns and the dough turned out beautifully, so easy to roll out. Mine however turned out more like cinnamon rolls than honey buns and didn’t expand much during the second rise. Taste wonderful though
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the great feedback!
I made these buns and we loved them. They were so delicious. Thank you for posting this recipe.
It was my pleasure Irina! I’m so happy you liked them.
I made these buns and we loved them. They are so delicious. Thank you for posting this recipe.
WHAT WAS THE TOTAL MOUNT OF FLOUR USED FOR THEM. THAT PART CONFUSED ME
Any recipe that’s described as- just like when you were a kid but better- has to be good! These are divine!
These are perfect – my son loves anything like this!