I’ve already out-pizza’d the Hut, but now I will out-cinnamon stix the Hut. So we’re making essentially the greatest homemade cinnamon roll in existence but in the form of a stick.

Baking Pan I Used: https://amzn.to/3ADYPiW

Compressed Wood For Butter: https://amzn.to/3NRTBTr

INGREDIENTS:

Makes 16 portions

Salted Browned Butter And Cinnamon Sugar:

• 3/4 cup (167g) granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 tablespoon (5g) ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon (>1g) fresh grated nutmeg

• 1/2 cup (112g) salted butter

Cream Cheese Icing:

• 8 ounces (227g) full fat cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup (112g) salted butter, softened

• 2 3/4 cup (373g) powdered sugar

• 1.5 teaspoons (9g) vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 vanilla bean)

• small pinch salt

• whole milk for thinning

Dough:

• 800g double zero tipo flour

• 16g fine sea salt

• 8g instant yeast

• 512g water - heated to 95 Fahrenheit

• 1/4 cup (62g) clarified butter for brushing

INSTRUCTIONS:

Salted Browned Butter And Cinnamon Sugar:

1. For the Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, add sugar, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg; whisk until combined.

2. For the Browned Butter: In a medium-size pot, add butter and set to medium heat; let it heat until fully melted. Continue to cook, swirling occasionally until a deep brown color.

3. Pour your now browned butter into a bowl set over an ice bath and continue to stir until it turns to a softened butter.

4. If you’d like to smoke your browned butter place that bowl into a large baking pan. Then on the other side, make a small bowl shape using aluminum foil and put a couple of ½” chunks of compressed smoking wood inside.

5. Use a kitchen torch to ignite and char your wood until it begins to smoke. Cover it with a lid and allow it to smoke for 15 min. Remove the lid and optionally smoke one more time for an extra smokey flavor.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1. Combine cream cheese, and butter in a medium-sized bowl; then using an electric mixer beat together until smooth and homogeneous.

2. Once combined gradually add powdered sugar in batches, beating in between batches until all of the powdered sugar is added and your mixture is smooth and lump free.

3. Beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt, then slowly add about 2 tsp of whole milk to thin out until it reaches a drizzable consistency.

Dough:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425F.

2. In a large bowl, add flour and salt, mix to combine. Separately, whisk together the yeast and the water and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Pour your yeast mixture into the flour mixture, and mix by hand until you form a rough done, then with your hand in a scoop shape, knead your dough by picking it up and slapping it against the bowl, repeatedly, until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl, and becomes smooth.

3. Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and rise at room temperature for around 2 hours or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can rise in the refrigerator overnight should you want to make it ahead.

4. Once your dough has doubled, punch it down, place onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 16 even pieces (around 70 - 80g each). Roll them into light balls, cover with a damp towel, and rest for 10 minutes.

5. Roll each ball into a 3.5” sausage shape and place in an 8x8” pan, which will fit 2 rows of 5; repeat with the rest, cover with plastic wrap, and proof for 30 minutes at room temperature. Brush your sticks with generously with clarified butter (you should use all of it) and bake for 18 - 20 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and brush sticks with all your smoked brown butter. Sprinkle a generous amount of your cinnamon sugar on top of each bun. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack immediately to cool and to maintain the crispy bottom.

7. Place your buns on a sheet tray or a serving platter with a ramekin of your cream cheese icing. Optionally drizzle some of your icing on top of your sticks and enjoy while still warm.