2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
7to 8 cups unbleached flour
1/2 stick melted butter
Sugar and cinnamon (mixed) as desired
confectiioners sugar
milk
vanilla
Grease large bowl for rising dough
Grease 3 round cake pans
Scald milk (heat on medium high heat until a skin forms on top of milk), then remove from heat.
Place stick of butter in milk to melt
Dissolve yeast in warm water with tablespoon of sugar and wait for it to double.
While waiting for for yeast to rise, mix eggs with 1/4 cup suga rand 2 tsp of salt in a large bowl.
Add milk and butter mixture to same bowl and stir
Add doubled yeast mixture to same bowl and stir
Whisk or beat in 3-4 cups of flour . Then knead in remaining flour until smooth, elastic and not sticky
Place dough in large greased bowl. Press down to grease dough. Turn over so greased side is up.
Cover with damp cloth and allow to rise in warm place.
Note: I usually turn the oven on low ahead of time and shut it off, then place the bowl of dough on middle rack. you want the oven warm, not hot. If you have a gas oven, the pilot light should be enough to warm the oven.
After dough has doubled , punch down and divide in half.
Roll out one piece to about a 10" by 20" rectangle
Brush with 1/2 melted butter and sprinkle with cinammon sugar (be generous)
Roll from the long side into a rope, pinch seams and cut with knife into 3/4 " pieces
Place pieces in cake pans(not too close together and not too far apart-you want the buns to rise up but not out)
Repeat with 2nd half of dough
Press buns down in pans and put back in oven (still warm but off) to rise. When buns reach the top of pans, turn on oven to 375 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove when slightly browned. Remove from pans and allow to cool slightly on rack.
Mix some confectioners sugar with a small amount of milk and a little vanilla. (about 1/2 to 1 tsp depending on how much glaze you make).
Spread over buns while they warm.
When I have cut dough pieces more than what will fit in the three pans, I grease a few Pyrex cups or any other oven-proof bowls and place buns in those and bake for a shorter time. (my kids always loved these in their lunch bags). Best of luck with this recipe. If the buns don't come out the way you like them the first time, try again another day.
