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 and North America. Alternative recipes use puff pastry instead of yeasted dough, but are constructed using a similar method.

Description

thumb|Cinnamon mixture spread on dough before rolling

A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened sweet bread dough or Viennoiserie, onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (with some variations including brown sugar, raisins or other ingredients) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and normally baked, however a deep fried version is called cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut.

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

thumb|Uncooked cinnamon rolls

Origins

Arab 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. with the modern Swedish kanelbulle () being created after the First World War. They spread to the United States with German immigrants.

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 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, a variation of the cinnamon roll known as korvapuusti is flavored with cardamom and typically topped with pearl sugar. 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. 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 French croissant, which does not contain cinnamon.

In the United Kingdom, cinnamon bun, cinnamon roll and cinnamon swirl names are all used, and generally available in most supermarkets and bakeries.

Americas

American cinnamon rolls are frequently large, baked in a pan and topped with cream cheese icing (usually confectioners' sugar-based) and are sometimes fried, finished with glaze, and served as a variation of a raised donut. In some areas, particularly in the American Midwest, cinnamon rolls are commonly served with chili, a combination that originated with school lunches in those areas. Some recipes include bacon pieces.

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 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.

Along with Topfengolatsche, Buttercroissant and Faschingskrapfen, cinnamon rolls are a typical baked good to have with afternoon coffee, known as "Kaffe und Kuchen" in Austria and Germany.

In North America, cinnamon rolls are commonly eaten for breakfast or dessert. When eaten for breakfast in the U.S., they may be served with cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon buns are particularly popular during the Christmas season in 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

File:Korvapuusti1.jpg|Finnish korvapuusti

File:Danskkanelsnegl.jpg|Danish kanelsnegl

File:Kanelboller.jpg|Norwegian skillingsbolle

File:Cinnamon-Roll-US-Bakery.jpg|American cinnamon roll

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File:Cinnamon rolls shaped and ready to proof.jpg|alt=7 raw cinnamon rolls in a round pan, with some space between them to allow for expansion|Raw cinnamon rolls

File:Cinnamon rolls ready to bake.jpg|alt=The rolls look puffier and have expanded to fill most of the space|Ready to bake after proofing

File:Cinnamon rolls partially baked in a solar oven.jpg|alt=The rolls have expanded even more, to fill the entire pan from edge to edge with no gaps. The dough looks dry but is pale and soft|Partially baked rolls in a solar cooker

File:Cinnamon rolls fully baked.jpg|alt=The rolls are dry and golden brown.|Fully baked cinnamon rolls