Body
MAKE THE BUNS
1. Whisk the buttermilk, 1⁄2 cup of the melted butter, and eggs together in a medium bowl.
2. Put the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or a large bowl (if using a hand mixer). Turn the mixer to low and pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough starts coming away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. (If the dough doesn't pull away from the sides after a few minutes, add another tablespoon of flour and mix again.)
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it until it is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add a little flour as you go if it starts to get sticky.
4. Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and turn it over a few times so the oil lightly coats its surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until it has doubled, about 3 hours.
5. When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it out (without ripping it) to form a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. The longer side of the rectangle should be facing you, with the shorter ends on the sides.
6. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle them onto the dough, covering the dough all the way to the bottom and sides of the rectangle but leaving about 1 inch of uncovered dough along the top (the side
farthest from you).
7. Working from the end closest to you, gently roll the dough up into a tight spiral. The edge with no filling (at the top) will stick to the roll; pinch it lightly so
that it seals.
8. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins with olive oil.
9. Use a knife to make 24 even marks along the roll (this is easiest if you start with a mark in the center, then mark the halfway point on each side, then the halfway point of those sections, and so on). Use a piece of dental floss to cut each roll from the dough log: scoot the string under one end of the log and cross it over the top, then pull both ends so that the string cuts through the log evenly. Transfer the cut section to one well in the muffin tin, with the spiral up. Repeat, moving down the log, to cut and place all 24 rolls.
10. Cover the tins with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours (or refrigerate them overnight, then bring them up to room temperature; make sure they've doubled in size before baking).
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
12. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.
MAKE THE FROSTING
1. Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until it's light and fluffy, then beat in the powdered sugar, 1⁄2 cup at a time. Add the milk and beat on high until you have a smooth mixture that leaves a thick coat on the back of a spoon but still runs easily; mix in a bit more powdered sugar or milk
if necessary to get the right consistency.
2. When the buns have cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting evenly over the tops. Store the buns in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.