Basic Sweet Dough- The Key to Goodness!

Love those cravings!  Cinnamon buns and sticky buns- homemade just can't be beat.  Sticky, gooey, rich, puffy buns bring out that inner kid in all of us.  Remember how great you felt pulling apart those rounds of cinnamon goodness?  And the smell in the kitchen while they baked?  Well, these are relatively easy to make with your dependable Kitchenaid.  I made one batch of cinnamon buns and another of sticky buns because I love both and they are made with the same sweet dough.

One batch of sweet dough makes 12 buns.
Ingredients:
3/4     cup buttermilk, warmed to about 110 degrees
6        tbsp unsalted butter, melted, then cooled
3        large eggs, beaten
4        cups all-purpose flour
1/4     cup sugar
1        envelope (2 1/4 tsp) rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4  tsp salt

Directions:

Warming the buttermilk

Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup; set aside.  Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the standing mixer bowl, using a dough hook, on low speed.  Again, on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about one minute.

Mixing the dough

Increase the speed to medium-low speed and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. About half way through, if the dough is sticky add up to 1/4 cup flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Letting the dough rise

Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead by hand for about one minute, to form a round, smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2-2 1/2 hours.  I place mine on top of the refrigerator.

This dough will make one dozen cinnamon buns or one dozen sticky buns.