Lockdown restrictions have brought with them many grievances: a hiatus from dancefloor boogies, a rise in mullets and similar dodgy hair-do’s and a halt in pre/post/mid-study cans at the Pav. However, cinnamon buns have remained with us, and I went in search of the best.
In my quest, it became clear that the cinnamon bun has become grounds for experimentation and manifestation across Dublin City. Flavours and dough have been tampered with to suit the seasons and the whims of Dublin’s devoted, yielding results that both tempt and tantalize.
The first bun that diverged from its traditional spice-flavoured past was found at Meet Me in the Morning, hidden beneath the gleaming slabs of oil-brushed and tomato-laden focaccia. Here, cinnamon has been replaced with cardamom and the pastry finds itself swaddled in a thick mascarpone icing, rendering it a cinnamon roll rather than a cinnamon bun. Sticky and sweet, the flavour components delight, though the dough proved a little dense.
If it’s manifestations of dough that you’re seeking, then look no further than the hallowed grounds of Bread 41. While sticking to cinnamon, they’ve instead replaced the traditional heavy dough with that of a croissant, manipulating the pastry into a much lighter and airy being. Laden with spice and sticky with brown sugar glaze, for fans of tearing, dunking and dipping, this cinnamon bun proves ideal.
A manifestation that looks to add rather than omit emerges in the Cinnamon and Walnut Scroll of Brother Hubbard, which has just recently reopened. Their scroll consists of a brioche bun lined with a thick cinnamon paste and interrupted all over with crunches of sweetened walnuts. The nuts prevent the sweetness from becoming sickly and when accompanied with an iced coffee on a sunny day, it is nothing short of blissful.
While the previous alterations have deviated slightly from the well-trodden cinnamon path, Urbanity let loose with their experimentation. Perhaps it was the pull of a full moon or one family monopoly too many – whatever the case, their effort comes in the form of a White Sesame and Caramel Miso Bun. This bun is dense and comforting in its dough but initially baffling in its flavours. That said, the miso adds depth to the caramel and the white sesame that should repel, intrigues, leaving me contemplating whether I’d ever be satisfied with plain cinnamon again.
A surprisingly delicious bun can be found in the unsuspecting but ever reliable Lidl. Eyebrows may be rising and scoffs may be building, but there, amongst the triple chocolate cookies and cheese-topped rolls, lies a near perfect cinnamon bun. Glazed and sweet, dense without being stodgy, it delivers on each individual level and can be bought in large and gratifyingly vast quantities.
Correction: 9:04pm, April 19th, 2021
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Simon’s Place – a popular coffee shop – is closed.
