Cinnamon roll

Not to be confused with Cinnamoroll.

"Cinnamon bun" redirects here. For the Adventure Time character, see List of Adventure Time characters § Cinnamon Bun.

Cinnamon roll

A Swedish cinnamon bun or kanelbulle with pearl sugar
Alternative names	Cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish, cinnamon snail
Type	sweet roll
Main ingredients	flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter (or any other solid fat)
Cookbook: Cinnamon roll   Media: Cinnamon roll

A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon scroll, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria, Estonia, The Netherlands and Germany) and North America. There are alternative recipes that use Puff pastry instead of yeasted dough, but are constructed using a similar method.

Description

Cinnamon mixture spread on dough before rolling

A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and brown sugar, raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor.

Loaf of raw cinnamon roll dough being cut into individual rolls prior to being baked

Uncooked cinnamon roll buns

Origins

Roman spice traders introduced the Sri Lankan cinnamon spice to Europe. The origin of cinnamon rolls is unknown, but might be in Byzantium.

The oldest recorded recipes for cinnamon rolls are from Germany in the 16th century. Cinnamon rolls spread from Germany to Scandinavia, with the modern Swedish kanelbulle (lit. ''cinnamon bun'') being created after the first world war. They spread to the United States with German immigrants.

Size

The size of a cinnamon roll varies from place to place, but many vendors supply a smaller size about 5 centimeters (2.0 in) in diameter and a larger size about 10 cm (3.9 in) to a side. The larger variety can be found in Finland, called korvapuusti (lit. 'a 'cuff on the ear'', fig. "pulling someone's ear for disciplining"), where it can be up to 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter and weigh up to 200 g (7.1 oz).

Haga, a district in Gothenburg, Sweden, has very large cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls are called hagabullar or Queen of the Kitchen. Hagabullar are usually 30 centimeters (12 in) or more in diameter and are, despite their size, not considered a communal roll.

National variations

Europe

In Denmark the cinnamon roll is known as kanelsnegl, in Sweden it is called kanelbulle, in Norway it is known as kanelbolle, skillingsbolle, kanelsnurr, or kanel i svingene, in Finland it is known as korvapuusti, in Iceland it is known as kanilsnúður, and in Estonia it is known as kaneelirull. In Austria and Germany, it is called Zimtschnecke. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, it is called škoricové slimáky/skořicoví šneci (meaning 'cinnamon snails').

Since 1999, October 4 has been promoted as Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag), a national theme day, acknowledged by a significant portion of the Swedish population. Swedish kanelbulle dough typically also contains cardamom (powder or buds), giving it a distinctive flavour.

The Swedish Butterkaka and Finnish bostonkakku ("Boston cake") is a cake made by baking cinnamon rolls in a round cake pan instead of baking them separately, so that they stick together to form a large, round cake.

In Austria and Germany, they are widely available at supermarkets and bakeries. Along with Topfengolatsche, Buttercroissant and Faschingskrapfen they are a typical baked good to have with afternoon coffee.

In Slovakia, these sweet rolls are usually shaped into small, round forms resembling beehives or wasps' nests. In the Czech Republic, they can also be found in a conical spiral shape. It is most often filled with cinnamon filling, or it may have nut, cocoa or vanilla pudding. Typical ingredients include wheat flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs and yeast.

A German variety, which is similar to the Scandinavian style, originating in Hamburg and its surroundings is the Franzbrötchen, a cinnamon-filled baked good inspired by the non-cinnamon French croissant.

Americas

American cinnamon rolls are frequently large, baked in a pan and topped with icing (usually confectioners' sugar-based) and are sometimes fried, finished with glaze, and served as a variation of a raised donut. There are also regional combinations: in the American Midwest, especially Nebraska and Kansas, cinnamon rolls are commonly eaten with chili.

In Canada, they are known as cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns. They are usually self-glazed and not iced, nor do they usually have raisins. They can have so much cinnamon that they are spicy and hot to the taste.

Asia

In Asian cultures, cinnamon rolls may be made using a yeast bread technique called tangzhong. The technique is closely associated with Japanese milk bread since it gives it a soft, feathery texture. By heating flour at exactly 65°C or 149°F, the starches within the flour will pre-gelatinize, causing it to thicken more than average. Tangzhong allows the starches to retain moisture for longer periods of time, resulting in a longer shelf life.

Cinnamon roll traditions

In Sweden and Finland, cinnamon rolls are traditionally enjoyed during a get-together, including the consumption of coffee and or baked goods. In Sweden, the get-together is known as a fika, typically held in the afternoon, by coworkers during a break, by friends or by family. National Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag) is observed on October 4 in Sweden and Finland.

In Denmark, cinnamon buns are especially popular on Wednesdays, where an extra large variant called the Wednesday snail is sold. This tradition was specially invented during the 1990s where the national football team usually played their games on Wednesdays.

In North America, it is commonly eaten for breakfast or dessert. When eaten for breakfast in the U.S., it may be served with cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon buns are particularly popular during the Christmas season in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They form part of the traditional Christmas baking repertoire in many households, alongside other festive treats like vanilla crescents (vanilkové rožteky) and linzer cookies.

Gallery

• National variations
• 
  Finnish korvapuusti
• 
  Danish kanelsnegl
• 
  Norwegian skillingsbolle
• 
  American cinnamon roll

• Baking process
• 
  Raw cinnamon rolls
• 
  Ready to bake after proofing
• 
  Partially baked rolls in a solar cooker
• 
  Fully baked cinnamon rolls

See also

• Ensaïmada

• List of buns