Miso Brown Sugar Cashew Buns

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I wanted to share this with you. It's my latest favorite recipe and it's my new favorite way to make cinnamon rolls too--there's a scant sprinkling of cinnamon (and raw sugar) rolled up inside, so technically I am allowed to call them that--and I want that you take a little bite and tell me what you think of all these flavors swirling around in here together. 

Flavor Inspiration: Have you ever had miso caramel? It's not my invention, so don't credit me, and I haven't had some since way back sometime in December.  There was a period of time (in between the end of my final day of grad school and a little before the New Year--you know, when you're in a celebratory and indulgent place) when I would stroll past the new donut shop (Blackbird) down the street, on my way to the city Target to get more kitty litter, and I'd stop myself just to squint through their glared windows like a curious small child, to make out the day's donuts. And 9 time out of 10 that innocent window shopping would manifest into a bag of donuts coming back home with me, always the yeast kind for me and the cake kind for Eric. One time I went in, and there was not only a guava donut (my original fave), but a MISO CARAMEL donut option too, so, obviously I got both. And the moment I bit into that tacky veneer of miso glaze I realized that miso was simply just a clever albeit more complicated substitute for the flaked sea salt we know and love to sprinkle atop our rich and decadent caramels.AND coffee, I can't forget about the coffee component, because I always get myself a cold brew, and yes, these buns have coffee in the dough too, for the purpose of bringing all those flavors together and to life again for me.

Miso?- Miso is a really cool ingredient. If you didn't know or think so already, I'm here to tell you how cool it is.  And even though I've been eating it at home for years in brothy soups and other savory whip-togethers, it took me awhile to research it myself, and that Googling didn't happen until I was trying to figure out how to ferment my own kimchi--and that's when I realized that miso is fermented too (the category of which feels extra trendy right now) It requires a lot of muscle work to bring miso to my fridge in its final cute package; I watched a video on how to make miso, and learned that it's essentially cooked soy beans combined with lots of salt and koji (partially or fully cooked grain that has been inoculated with the fermentation culture, Aspergillus oryzae--there is even a cool Japanese comic that celebrates koji; the comic is called Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture). Anyway this is all smushed together, and thrown (with excessive force) into a container to whack out all the excess air. After that, it's left to slowly and chemically breakdown overtime while the koji feeds on the sugars in the soy bean. This process is actually pretty similar to the very beginning (and very long) process of making soy sauce, except soy sauce has wheat added before all the fermenting begins---Got lost in this visually thrilling short documentary on the making of soy sauce, in case you wanted to follow my same tangential internet video path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMmyamL4VGw...If not, Here's how I made these Miso Buns:

Coffee Cinnamon Dough:

  • 3/4 cup almond milk (or other milk), heated to 115 degrees F

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 2 tsp active dry yeast

  • 2 tsp instant coffee

  • 1.5 Cups all purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup-2/3 cup bread flour (or just use all all-purpose flour if that's all you have)

Filling:

  • sugar in the raw, for sprinkling

  • cinnamon, for sprinkling

  • 4 tbsp softened butter (dairy-free, if desired)

Miso Brown Sugar Caramel:

  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp red miso paste

  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

  • ¼ cup applesauce

  • 1 tbsp melted butter (dairy-free)

  • 2/3 cup-1 cup crushed cashews

Glaze:

  • 4 tbsp softened butter (diary-free, if desired)

  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp red miso paste

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2/3 cup packed powdered sugar

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Directions:

Making the dough: In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and brown sugar. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the top and allow it 5-10 minutes to bloom. Once the yeast has bloomed, stir in the coffee to dissolve.

Transfer the liquid to a large mixing bowl adding in just 1/4 cup of the bread flour in the beginning and mixing to combine.

Add more bread flour if the dough is still too wet.

Once the dough is combined, transfer it to a cleaned work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until the dough is smooth and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a large, well-oiled bowl, turning in the oil to coat. 

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and store in a warm dark place to double in size ( I prefer the microwave--when it's off of course), which may take 60-90 minutes.

Make the miso brown sugar caramel: In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together for the miso brown sugar caramel, and pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9X5 inch loaf pan.

Set aside.

Once the dough has risen, remove the plastic, punch the dough down in the center, and roll it out into a thin rectangle.

Continue pulling and stretching on the ends until can almost see through the dough without it tearing.

It should be about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle the top with the raw sugar, and just a scant sprinkling of cinnamon--message the sugar and cinnamon into the dough.

Roll the dough into a long 32" log. 

Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Arrange the pieces in the loaf pan so they're standing erect, and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap.

Place back in a warm dark place to double in size a second time, about 60-90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Remove the plastic from the risen dough and bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until crunchy and brown on the top and cooked through.

Remove from the oven.








Make the glaze: Once the buns come out hot from the oven, make the glaze.

In a small bowl using the back of a fork, work the butter, miso, and vanilla together until combined.

Work in the powdered sugar until smooth, and spread over the top of the warm buns.

Serve!


Notes: Using just that small amount of bread flour adds extra gluten to the final dough, making it easier to stretch thinly without tearing. If you use all all-purpose flour you may not get it stretched as thinly, but I'm sure it will still be delicious! I used Hikari Miso's organic red miso paste in this recipe. Extra Note: After this recipe, you may see more savory things, because I need to take a little break from it all this flour and sugar :)


Today's Album

: Right now, we're lucky to live beside this really cool but 100% anonymous neighbor (I think he is a music producer? not sure..) nonetheless he leaves random records, also randomly, out in the hall to give away instead of throw away. Eric always geeks out over the records-- big-eyed, he'll sift through the stack picking ones that call to him, and recently he brought home a gem. It's a recording of violinist Kyung-Wha Chung. I could listen to her all day while I bake. 

Kyung-Wha Chung - Saint Saens Violin Concerto No.3 London Symphony Orchestra

--that's the description of the record. And attached is the link I could find so you can listen with me.

New family member:

We finally got ourselves an oil diffuser.

Hallelujah!

Life is grand and everything smells like lemongrass in here. I'm pretty sure the diffuser (which has taken residence on my bedside table right beside my large water cup) has been spitting microscopic bits of essential oil into my water. I think this is good, no?