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Thunder Bay Persians
Cinnamon Doughnut Buns
For the Buns:
1/4 C warm water (105 to 115-degrees F)
1 TBS instant yeast
1-1/2 C lukewarm whole milk
1/2 C plus 1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5-1/3 TBS unsalted butter, melted & cooled
5 C all-purpose flour
2 QTS (8 C) vegetable oil (for frying)
Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1-1/2 TBS cinnamon
Parchment paper
4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 C strawberries (fresh or thawed frozen), chopped small or mashed
Buns: Place warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; add one tablespoon sugar. Stir to mix; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about five minutes, or until mixture appears foamy. Fit an electric mixer with a dough hook. Once yeast is activated, add the milk, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, butter, two cups of flour and remaining sugar. Mix on low speed until ingredients are thoroughly combined, about two to three minutes. Turn mixer to medium speed; beat in remaining flour half a cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl until fully incorporated. Knead on medium speed for about five minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Note: Dough will be sticky, so it will not completely pull away from the bowl during kneading. Transfer dough to a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about one hour.
Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Strawberry Frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer. Mix in powdered sugar gradually, and then add chopped or mashed strawberries. Mix well until completely blended. If frosting does not appear thick and fluffy, add more powdered sugar as necessary. Set aside.
Flour a large, flat workspace. Lightly sprinkle dough with flour; remove from bowl. Roll dough into a 13x18-inch rectangle. Cover surface of the dough with brown sugar mixture; roll-up dough on long side until achieving a rectangle of about 18-inches in length. Dust a sharp knife with flour; cut twenty-four rolls from rectangle. Place rolls a few inches apart on the prepared pans or baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap coated with non-stick cooking spray; allow to rest in a warm place until rolls have doubled in size, about one hour.
Fill a deep-fryer or Dutch oven with two inches of oil; heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 350-degrees F. Using a metal spatula or strainer, carefully drop cinnamon rolls in the oil. Cook two or three rolls at the same time, but do not overcrowd. Use wooden chopsticks or metal tongs to turn cinnamon rolls; fry until a deep golden brown on both sides, about one or two minutes per side. Remove cinnamon rolls from the oil using metal strainer or tongs; allow to drain on cookie sheets lined with paper towels. Once rolls have cooled slightly, frost and serve.
Note: Persians are a cross-between a large cinnamon bun and a doughnut, topped with strawberry icing. The buns are unique to Thunder Bay, Ontario but are also well-known in the US state of Wisconsin. According to historical lore, Persians were named after US General John "Blackjack" Pershing.
*Thunder Bay Persian image (C) Eja2k (2009). Image released into the public domain by author and copyright holder.
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