Soft Homemade Honey Buns (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
02 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon instant yeast
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup warm water, between 105°F-115°F
06 - ⅓ cup honey
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ¼ cup shortening, melted
10 - Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

→ For the Cinnamon Sugar

11 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

→ For the Glaze

13 - 4 ⅔ cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 ½ tablespoons honey
15 - 1 tablespoon melted butter
16 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - ¼ teaspoon salt
18 - Warm water, as needed

# Instructions:

01 - Whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine the warm water, honey, egg, and vanilla extract. Melt the shortening and add it to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined. With a dough hook on your stand mixer, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix the dough on low until the wet and dry ingredients are well combined. Once combined, knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly oiled glass bowl, flipping the dough to coat the top with oil as well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free, slightly warm spot. Let rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it has almost doubled in size.
02 - While the dough is rising, whisk to combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
03 - Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured, clean surface. Roll the dough out to a 12” long and 8” wide rectangle. Dust with the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a clean edge, and gently press into the dough. Roll the dough up from the long side toward the clean edge. Brush the clean edge with a little water, then push the clean edge into the roll and smooth with your finger to adhere the dough together. Cut off the pinched ends from the roll, about 1 1⁄2 inches per end. Then cut it equally into 1-inch pieces and place each piece onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 2” space between them. Press down lightly on each slice and lightly shape each one with your fingers, then let rise for about 45 minutes - until puffy, but not doubled in size.
04 - Part of the way through the rise time, pour oil into a large pan or stockpot until the oil is about 3-inches deep. Heat over medium heat, until the oil reaches 365°F. Right before frying the buns, whisk together the glaze. Once the rolls have risen, gently press them down again with your fingers, then place a few honey buns into the hot oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry for 90 seconds on one side, then flip and fry for an additional 90 seconds on the other side, until golden brown on both sides. Once honey buns are golden brown, remove them from the oil and place them onto a wire cooling rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Immediately dip each bun into the glaze and return to the cooling rack. Repeat the frying and glazing process with any remaining honey buns.
05 - Preheat your oven to 350°F with the rack placed in the lower third of the oven. Once the rolls have risen, bake for 18 minutes or until the honey buns are lightly golden brown. Let them rest for 5 minutes after baking and then dip each bun into the glaze (or brush the glaze on) and place on a wire cooling rack.

# Notes:

01 - Storage: Honey buns may be stored in an airtight container or baggie for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to three months.
02 - Best The Next Day: These honey buns are delicious warm, but they are the best after they have sat in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two.
03 - Yeast Tips: When working with yeast-based recipes, it is important to have the water at the correct temperature. The ideal temperature is between 105°F-115°F.

Back