cinnamon sugar peach brioche buns with whipped almond cream
‘Bout time I present a cinnamon bun recipe on VE!
The trope of the “peach so juicy the syrup dribbles down your arms” isn’t as cute to me as it is to some people. I get sticky enough slinging lattes at work, I don’t exactly want my casual eating to reflect that it any way. However, a ripe peach is pretty special as far as culinary masterpieces go. The sweetness, softness, a lingering sugar on the tongue…That is unbeatable. The summer season is not my favorite, but summer produce kind of is.
Bring in some Cinnamon Sugar Peach Brioche Buns. Filled with a tender spiced brown sugar sprinkle, fresh diced peaches, and topped off with a light whip variant so to not weigh down the treat with thick icing. A perfect summer snack, brunch, breakfast, what have you, and certainly an ideal way to enjoy this wonderful seasonal summer fuzzball.
Anything peach takes some planning to ensure the acquisition or development of ripe peaches. Often stores carry hard variants, so if you can, schedule to bake these up a couple days after grocery shopping.
Honestly? I won’t tell if you use nectarines. The flavor won’t be all that different, so if the peach cousin is all you can find, use them. Still going to taste wonderful.
I almost never use instant yeast in anything I bake, and these buns are no exception. The main difference between the two types, instant and active dry, is the latter requiring some activation before being incorporated into the batter. Warm milk and a bit of honey do the trick. The milk needs to just be warm, not boiling hot. You should be able to stick your finger in and let it sit comfortably, with just a bit of warm. Wash your hands first, though, you filth.
Cinnamon bun dough should be pliable, tacky, but not so sticky that it glues itself to your fingers. This dough resembles brioche in its beautiful softness.
After the yeast proofs, mix in eggs and butter. The blend will look goofy, but don’t fear – once you knead in the dry ingredients, the weirdness wears off and transforms into a glossy mound. Sift in some flour, salt, and cinnamon in two batches. Keep in mind you may need to add more flour if the dough is too wet, but do this only a tablespoon at a time. Again, a tacky and somewhat floppy dough is good. A dry dough will prove tough to shape.
The first rise should take about an hour, maybe a bit more. Florida humidity means very reactive dough, but if you reside somewhere drier and less balls hot, your dough might be a touch more resistant. Be patient, and let it roughly double in size.
Flour a clean, flat surface and turn the dough out. Give it a good punch to remove some air bubbles, then roll it into a big ole rectangle.
Toss together some brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl. Spread softened butter over the surface of the rolled out dough. Leave a barrier of about 1/2 inch or so to help contain the filling when you roll the slab into a log. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar atop the butter, and finish with the diced peaches. Try to arrange the filling as evenly as possible across the dough.
Rolling the rectangle takes some attention, as peach slices might want to slide out and the brown sugar and butter make the dough even more luscious and malleable. Work fast but take care. It’s okay if the log isn’t the tightest you’ve ever formed! After rolled, pinch the seam firmly. Cut the log into 12 buns.
Grease a baking dish and set the buns, cut side down, inside. Try to leave a bit of space to accommodate the second rise, but it doesn’t need to be much. Cover the baking dish and let the buns rise 30-60 more minutes, until about doubled. The second rise isn’t as precise as the first.
Heat the oven to 375. When ready, bake the buns 30-35 minutes until golden on top.
Final step? Almond whip. The buns, to me, are decadent enough, and I want the peach to shine through rather than bogging the fruit down with a classic cream cheese icing. A touch of almond extract, a bit of powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla are all you need.
Let the buns cool, then dab the whip over each. I went a little crazy with it because I just adored how the whip melted gently into the baked buns and softened them even more.
Buns are a bit of a labor, yes, but so well worth it. Make these for weekend brunch or a quick afternoon coffee treat.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Need to use up some leftover peaches? Try these recipes out!
Black Bean Chili Dogs with Pickled Jalapeno Peach Relish
Barbacoa Jackfruit Taco Boats with Smoky Roasted Jalapeno Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon sugar peach filling
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 2 cups diced fresh peaches (about 4-5 large peaches)
whipped almond cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Proof the yeast. Pour warm milk into a mixing bowl and stir in honey. The milk should not be scalding – you should be able to dip a finger comfortably into the liquid and feel only slight warmth. Sprinkle yeast overtop. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast foams and bubbles.
- Add eggs and butter to the yeast mixture and beat until reasonably combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 3 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, and salt.
- In two batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir until the dough begins to come together. If the mixture seems too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until tacky and soft but not sticky enough to cling to your hands. I used about 2 additional tablespoons.
- Turn dough onto a clean, well-floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes until a smooth ball forms. Grease a clean bowl with butter or oil and set the dough ball atop, turning once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm, draft-free area to rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
- In a small bowl, toss together brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Dice peaches into 1/4 inch chunks. Keep separate from the sugar mixture.
- Close to the end of rising time, grease a large baking dish generously with butter or oil.
- Turn dough once again onto a clean, floured surface and punch down. Roll into a 10 x 16 inch rectangle. No need to be perfect, just get as close as you can! Spread with softened butter, leaving 1/2 inch barrier around the edges. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon brown sugar filling, then add the diced peaches overtop.
- Working from the long edge, roll dough into as tight a log as you can manage. Press dough as you roll to pack the filling more tightly. When finished rolling, pinch the seam firmly to seal.
- Turn the log seam side down and, with cooking twine or a very sharp knife, slice into 12 buns. Set the buns cut side down into the prepared baking pan, leaving a small amount of space in between each. Cover and let rise an additional 30-60 minutes or until roughly doubled.
- Towards the end of the second rise, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake buns for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before adding the whip. They can be slightly warm before adorning if you plan to each them straight away, otherwise let them cool completely beforehand.
- For the whip, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Then, beat in powdered sugar, almond extract, and vanilla. If you wish for a stronger almond flavor, add a couple droplets at a time until desired potency is achieved.
- When the buns are cool, swirl a collop of almond cream onto each. Garnish with fresh peaches and serve with coffee or tea!
