Simple Cinnamon Rolls

The cinnamon roll is so simple, so run of the mill, that it is an endless challenge for me to create at home. The most basic recipes often come with the most stringent rules. There is less wiggle room when recreating recipes from everyday American cuisine. That explains why I’ve never made that perfect white bread by hand.

I have eaten cinnamon rolls a countless number of times. Each time they are always: yeasted, rolled generously with cinnamon-sugar, buttery, and flaky. What is so hard about that? Everything, it seemed, until now.

I  finally made from start to finish a fully functioning and delicious tasting cinnamon roll thanks to another snow day. These are the first in a line of many, I hope. Now that I know I can actually make  cinnamon rolls I’m interested in variations. A no knead cinnamon roll, perhaps? Rolling them up with nuts alongside the brown sugar and cinnamon as filling? Creating an eggier dough to achieve an almost brioche-meets-cinnamon-roll kind of baked good? All of these are possibilities in my butter filled future.

Yet this is the perfect place to start. This recipe produces a cinnamon roll that you will sigh about after it isout of the oven. Thank, goodness, you did it These are soft, sweet, and fragrant rolls. I topped mine with a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk whisked together until smooth. The original recipe calls for cream cheese frosting. That would be great, I just didn’t get to it. The nice aspect of a simple glaze is it fills all the crevices of the roll, keeping moisture in longer.

Notes on the recipe: I used a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I decided to do the kneading in my stand mixer. I kneaded the dough with the hook for 6-8 minutes. I then kneaded it a minute more with my hands. You can also knead by hand until the dough is not sticky and supple, around 10 minutes. I also found I had to add more flour than the recipe originally called for, around 4 cups rather than 3 1/2, This might have been my error in over kneading the dough, but it is worth noting. I also used a piece of thread to cut the rolled up dough. The only  problem I had came to baking dishes and baking time. I noticed that the rolls I baked in a metal cake dish darkened too much on the sides as well baked too quickly. The ones I baked in a ceramic dish were perfect–light and soft. If using metal baking dishes watch the rolls diligently. The timing might be faster. You want the rolls to just be lightly browned.

Simple Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients for the dough:
1 cup of milk
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1  egg
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
canola oil for the bowl

Cinnamon filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons  cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted slightly
nuts or raisins if you like

Powdered sugar glaze:
1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of milk

Directions:

1. Mix the butter and milk in microwave safe dish. Microwave until warm, around 120 degrees, around 40 seconds on high. The butter should be melted.

2. Pour milk and butter, 1 cup of flour, the sugar, the egg, and the instant yeast into a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment until just mixed. If you don’t have a mixer, use a hand mixer just until the dough comes together.

3. Add the rest of the flour, 2 1/2 cups. Beat a few minutes more, scrapping down the sides.

4. Either turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and begin kneading, adding flour by the tablespoon if needed, or switch to the dough hooks and mix the in the mixer at a low speed for around 8 minutes. In either case add more flour is the dough is too sticky. The end result should be supple and not sticky.

5. Grease a bowl with a bit of canola oil, roll the dough in the bowl to coat it evenly. Cover the bowl with a non-terry cloth towel. Let rise for 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

6.  When ready, press the dough down. Place on a floured work surface. Roll out to an 11 by 15 square. Spread the melted butter on the dough keeping a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough.

7. Roll the dough length wise, pinching slightly. After rolled cut off a bit of the ends so the roll is straight. Using a piece of thread slice the dough into 18-22 slices. Place the thread underneath the dough and criss cross each end over the top, pulling the thread through and slicing the dough. You can also use a knife but the thread technique works very well.

8. Place the rolls cut side up in lightly buttered baking dishes. Cover again so they may rise for the second time. Let rise until double in size, around 45 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 375 while the rolls finish rising. Mix up the powdered glaze. Cook the rolls until lightly golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Check often to make sure the rolls aren’t burning.

10. Turn out finished down on rack to cool. Once cooled, pour glaze over the top.