Think of these as a shortcut cinnamon roll. Vary the recipe by swapping the spice for a touch of cardamom and orange zest, use a fruit jam for filling, or sprinkle chopped chocolate or nuts over the dough before rolling. This recipe comes to us from Mark Bittman, and is featured in the Holiday 2018 issue of Sift magazine.
To make the dough: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Work in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the buttermilk (or yogurt) and stir just until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead the dough a few times; flour your hands if the dough is sticky.
To make the filling: Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
To assemble: Roll the dough into a rectangle about 10" x 14" and 1/4" thick. Trim the edges to be straight, rearranging the dough as needed to make a neat shape. Brush the dough with the melted butter.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1/2" border along the long edges. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough into a log. Wrap and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes (this will make slicing and handling much easier). While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 450°F.
After the dough is firm but not solid, cut it 3/4"-thick slices and place the pinwheels on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake the pinwheels for 11 to 13 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve warm.
Wrap any leftovers and store at room temperature for up to three days; freeze for longer storage.
