Cinnamon Rotiboy

I found the original version of these buns on YouTube a long time ago, saved the recipe, and somehow never got around to baking them. Now I feel like I missed out on so much! That soft bread, crisp cookie topping, and salty butter melting into the middle—why did I wait this long?

The original recipe uses coffee in the topping. My only ingredient change was replacing the coffee with cinnamon, and I love how that warm cinnamon flavor goes with the buttery center. Imagine breaking through a thin cookie crust and finding soft, fluffy bread underneath. These are definitely the kind of buns you want to eat while they are still warm.

I’m calling my version Cinnamon Rotiboy —a cinnamon variation of the original coffee-topped buns, with that same wonderful combination of crunchy topping and soft bread.

A soft bun with a crispy top

These buns have three parts: a milk-and-egg dough, a small piece of salted butter tucked inside, and a cinnamon cookie topping piped over the surface before baking.

As they bake, the topping spreads down the sides and becomes a thin, crisp shell. The butter inside melts into the surrounding bread, leaving a buttery center and sometimes a little hollow pocket. That is part of their charm.

There is no rolling out a large sheet of dough or spreading filling over it. Shape individual buns around cold butter, let them rise, pipe on the topping, and bake.

Mixing with my Ooni Halo Core

I mix this dough in my Ooni Halo Core mixer. I love being able to make soft bread dough at home with a spiral mixer, especially when I want good gluten development without doing all the kneading by hand.

The rotating bowl and spiral hook work the dough against the breaker bar, helping knead it evenly. For this recipe, I look for a smooth, elastic dough that stretches into a thin membrane. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, but it should hold its shape.

Use the dough’s texture as your guide rather than following a fixed mixing time. Stop and check it as you go, especially if your ingredients or kitchen are warm. Well-developed dough makes shaping easier and helps the buns rise beautifully around the butter.

Why I use the Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer

After mixing, I let the dough rise in my Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer at 26–28°C / 79–82°F for about an hour and a half, until approximately doubled.

This is where the proofer makes bread baking so much easier. Kitchen temperatures change with the season, and finding a consistently warm place for dough can be frustrating. The Folding Proofer gives the dough a steady environment, so I can choose a temperature and follow its progress with much more confidence.

Its water tray helps maintain humidity, keeping the dough’s surface from drying out when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I also appreciate that it folds flat for storage when I’m finished.

For the shaped buns, I lower the setting to 26–27°C / 79–81°F and proof for about one hour. Because each bun contains a piece of butter, I keep this stage below 28°C / 82°F. Butter can become very soft and may begin leaking around that temperature, depending on the butter you use. Gentle warmth gives the dough time to expand while helping the filling stay contained.

Even with controlled temperature, watch the buns. They should look noticeably puffy and almost doubled before baking.

Cinnamon Rotiboy

Makes: 8 buns

First rise: About 1½ hours

Final proof: About 1 hour

Suggested baking time: 15–20 minutes

Bread dough

• 165 g milk, lukewarm
• 1 large egg
• 35 g sugar
• 6 g fine salt
• 5 g instant yeast
• 35 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled until lukewarm
• 300 g bread flour

Cinnamon cookie topping

• 70 g unsalted butter, softened
• 60 g sugar
• 45 g beaten egg
• 4 g ground cinnamon
• 75 g all purpose flour

Butter filling

• 80 g salted butter, divided into eight 10 g pieces

Alternatively, mix 80 g softened unsalted butter with 2 g fine salt, chill until firm, and divide into eight equal portions.

Directions

1. Mix the dough

Add the milk, egg, sugar, salt, and instant yeast to the Ooni Halo Core mixer bowl. Stir to combine, then add the melted, cooled butter and bread flour.

Fit the spiral dough hook and breaker bar. Mix at a low setting until no dry flour remains, then increase the speed as appropriate for your mixer and knead until smooth and elastic.

Check for a thin, stretchy windowpane. Avoid adding extra flour simply because the dough feels slightly tacky.

2. Let the dough rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased container. Prepare the Folding Proofer with its rack and water tray according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Proof at 26–28°C / 79–82°F for about 1½ hours, until approximately doubled. Start checking before the full time has passed if the dough is rising quickly.

3. Prepare the butter filling

Cut the salted butter into eight 10 g pieces. Refrigerate until needed.

If making your own salted filling, mix the softened unsalted butter and salt thoroughly, shape into a small slab, and refrigerate until firm before dividing.

4. Make the cinnamon topping

Beat the softened butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the beaten egg, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Stir in the cinnamon and cooled water. Cinnamon will not dissolve like instant coffee; simply distribute it evenly through the mixture.

Add the cake flour and mix just until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag. Keep the topping cool enough to hold its shape but soft enough to pipe.

5. Divide and rest

Gently press the risen dough to release the gas. Weigh and divide into eight equal portions, approximately 74 g each.

Round each portion into a ball, cover, and rest for 10 minutes. This short rest helps the dough relax before filling.

6. Fill and shape

Flatten each ball into a small disk. Place one cold butter portion in the center, bring the dough around it, and pinch the seams firmly closed.

Check for gaps, then place seam-side down on parchment-lined baking trays that fit inside your proofer. Leave generous space between the buns for expansion and the spreading topping.

7. Proof the buns

Proof in the Folding Proofer at 26–27°C / 79–81°F for about one hour, keeping the setting below 28°C / 82°F.

The buns should look airy, puffy, and nearly doubled. A light fingertip indentation should spring back slowly. Allow more time if they still feel tight and spring back immediately.

8. Pipe and bake

Toward the end of proofing, preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F, conventional heat.

Snip the piping bag to make a small opening. Starting in the center of each bun, pipe a close spiral over the dome, covering approximately the upper two-thirds. The topping will spread as it bakes.

Bake for approximately 20-24 minutes, until the topping is set and crisp and the exposed bread is golden. Let the buns cool on the tray briefly, then transfer to a rack. Enjoy warm.

Questions and answers

Can I make these with sourdough starter?

Yes, although this adaptation needs testing and will take longer than the yeast version. Use 90 g active, ripe sourdough starter at 100% hydration, 

Mix until well developed, then ferment at 26–27°C / 79–81°F until visibly expanded and airy. Begin checking around 4–6 hours, but allow longer if needed. Shape with the cold butter and proof until very puffy, which may take another 3–5 hours or more. Follow the dough rather than the clock.

Do these buns contain coffee?

No. Traditional Rotiboy have a coffee-flavored topping, but I replaced the coffee with 4 g ground cinnamon. This version has a warm cinnamon flavor without the coffee.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

Bread flour is my first choice for a soft, stretchy dough with good structure. All-purpose flour may work, but absorption varies. Hold back a little milk initially and add it if needed.

Why did the butter leak out?

The seams may not have been sealed fully, or the filling may have become too soft during proofing. Use cold butter, seal carefully, and keep the final proof at 26–27°C. A little butter escaping during baking can still happen.

How do I store and reheat them?

These buns are best freshly baked, when the topping is crisp. Once completely cooled, freeze them in an airtight bag. Thaw, then reheat at 180°C / 350°F for about 4 minutes, adding time as needed. The topping should crisp up again while the center warms.

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