My little red hen

My son wanted to make cinnamon buns today. He helped me get the yeast ready, he dumped in a couple ingredients, and then he got bored and went to play while I did all the rest of the work. Perhaps this has something to do with the little chat we had at the greenhouse today. We bought some vegetables to plant, and when I asked if he was going to help me plant them and water them, he answered with a big fat "NOPE!" So I quickly reminded him of the "Little Red Hen" story, and he was awfully helpful (for the first 4 minutes) while I made buns!

I found this recipe in a St. James United Church cookbook. Is there anything better than a church cookbook? It just reminds me of childhood - long before the days of celebrity chefs, fusion cuisine, and the other 8 million types of cookbooks available these days. Don't get me wrong, I love trying something new and possibly disastrous, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing that beats the smell fresh buns rising in the oven. And the best homeade bun recipes definitely come from the little spiral-bound church cookbooks.

Here's the recipe I used, courtesty of Eleanor Wagner. Whoever you are, Eleanor, my house smells better tonight because of you!

TWO HOUR BUNS (AND CINNAMON BUNS)

1 tbsp. traditional yeast

1 c. warm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. boiling water

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. oil

1 egg, beaten

5 c. flour

Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water for 10 minutes. Combine boiling water, sugar, salt, and oil and cool to lukewarm. Stir in yeast mixture, egg, and 1 c. flour, mixing well. Add remaining 4 c. flour, mixing well each time. Knead well and let it rise for 45 minutes, punching dough down every 15 minutes. Roll into buns and lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let rise for 1 hour, then bake at 400 F for 15 minutes. Brush with butter once they come out of the oven.

This recipe would make 24 buns, but I only made 12 and then I rolled out the rest of the dough to make cinnamon buns. Slather some butter on the dough, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll it up and cut into 2" slices and lay them in a well-greased baking dish. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, and turn out onto a plate as soon as they come out of the oven.