It’s not a stretch to say that, aside from cakes and cookies, the cinnamon roll is a bakery poster child.
So beloved is the ubiquitous treat that it graces the menus of sweet shops small and large, and even has a famously aromatic fast-food iteration—as anyone who’s strolled through an airport or mall can attest.
Swathed in creamy frosting and embroidered with currents of cinnamon-y goodness, the pastry is the ultimate expression of comfort, an indulgent breakfast treat, afternoon pick-me-up or midnight snack.
In Baton Rouge, cinnamon rolls are having a moment, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea this month to see how many you can spot and sample. After all, it’s cinnamon season.
A standout version comes from Mid City Bakery, the cottage enterprise launched in January that sells fresh pastries at Pelican to Mars’ onsite coffee cart House Brew and at various local pop-ups.
Making a good cinnamon roll is an art, says founder Kimberly Fansler, who worked in the bakery industry for several years in Baton Rouge and in her native North Carolina. At Camino Bakery, a Winston-Salem institution, she made cinnamon rolls by the gross. Fansler moved to the Capital City in 2019, and after managing a local bakery, fulfilled a longstanding dream of opening her own business.
Kimberly Fansler, founder of Mid City Bakery, who sells her cinnamon rolls and pastries at pop-ups and House Brew, located within Pelican to Mars
Cinnamon roll success depends on balancing moisture to achieve its hybrid pillowy-but-dense texture. “You want a bit of a crust, but you want it to be soft,” Fansler says.
She uses a Japanese baking technique, tangzhong, to combine and cook down bread flour and milk, forming a paste to which she adds the other ingredients.
Once the dough has proofed, she rolls it out, spreading a filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, orange zest and a secret spice she won’t reveal. The dough is coiled, sliced and placed into jumbo muffin tins. After rising again, it’s baked and smeared with Fansler’s homemade vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
Watching someone enjoy one of her cinnamon rolls is just as good as eating it herself, Fansler says.
“When I see someone appreciating one,” she says, “it’s the best feeling in the world.” Find it on Instagram at @midcitybakery
More, please
Other local spots to try cinnamon rolls
CounterspaceBR
5621 Government St.
Freshly baked and take-and-bake cinnies are a mainstay of this bakery. counterspacebr.com
Maru Bread Co.
The boutique pop-up makes tender rolls with a thick layer of creamy frosting. Find it on Instagram at @marubreadco
Simple Joe Cafe
3057 Government St.
The Mid City breakfast haunt makes trays of homemade cinnamon rolls. simplejoecafe.biz
Yaya’s Blooms & Dough
This new micro-bakery’s signature cinnamon rolls are made with sourdough. Find it on Instagram at @yayasbloomsanddough
This article was originally published in the November 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.
