Simple Cinnamon Buns

One dessert that's hard to find outside of a store is cinnamon buns. These cakey, sweet, and cinnamony treats take a bit of time, and require some preparation, which chases some away from making them at home. I was recently beginning to wonder, though: is there a simpler way? In short, of course there is.
To save on time, I didn't use any yeast and instead just relied on rolling the dough out thick enough. For the icing, I decided to use a delicious maple frosting I found that complimented the buttermilk base of the buns perfectly.

Ingredients

FILLING

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

DOUGH

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

ICING

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 to 2 teaspoons buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a 9" cake pan and brush to coat the pan. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the sugars, spices, and salt for the filling in a bowl. Add tablespoon melted butter and stir with a fork or fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Set the mixture aside.
3. Make the biscuit dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a measuring cup or small bowl. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (about 30 seconds). Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth.
4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12"x9" rectangle. Pat out the filling into an even layer on top of the dough, leaving 1/2" border of dough around the edges. Press firmly into the dough.
5. Use a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface, and starting on the long side, roll the dough pressing lightly to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal.
6. Roll the log seam side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. Use your hand to slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep the filling in place. Place one roll in the center of the prepared nonstick pan, then place the remaining rolls around the perimeter of the pan.
7. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and bake until the edges are golden brown (23 to 25 minutes). Use a metal spatula to loosen the buns from the pan without separating and slide the buns out onto the greased cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes before icing.
8. While the buns are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (this is for easy cleanup). Set the rack with the buns over the baking sheet. Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, butter, syrup, and enough buttermilk to achieve the desired consistency. Spread it over the rolls.