Name: Honey Buns
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 6 hours 30 minutes (includes rest and rise time)
Yield: Makes 9
Ingredients: ⅓ cup (40 g) plus 4¾ cups (570 g) bread flour (preferably King Arthur); 2 Tbsp. whole or nonfat dry milk powder; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 tsp. instant yeast; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 cup whole milk, room temperature; 2 Tbsp. honey; 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces; Nonstick vegetable oil spray; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 Tbsp. honey; 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract; Pinch of kosher salt; All-purpose flour (for dusting); 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature; 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature; ¼ cup honey; ½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract; Pinch of kosher salt; ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar; 1 Tbsp. bee pollen, crushed to a powder (optional)

Four honey buns on a serving platter with two additional honey buns on plate and two mugs of tea on the side.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

There are so many treats from my childhood permanently etched in my heart and tummy, but none are more memorable than Little Debbie’s honey buns. They were always my first choice when it came to after-school snacks. My mom would leave them for me accompanied by a note that always read, “Do not touch the stove!” The microwave was fair game, however, and the buns always went in for a quick zap, giving them the perfect hot-from-the-oven effect.

This recipe makes a jazzed-up version of the honey buns I remember. It uses a water-based roux called tangzhong that’s used in milk bread recipes. Water and flour are cooked together and thickened before being cooled and mixed into the dough. The gelatinization of the flour during this cooking process is what helps the dough retain moisture, making the buns extra tender. The buns are then baked at a high temperature, caramelizing and crisping the edges while leaving the center pillowy soft.