Cinnamon Rolls – A Beautiful Mess

Is there anything better than a warm cinnamon roll with your morning coffee?Answer: No. Soft, crispy bread rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and butter and topped with a cream cheese frosting glaze. This is everything you’d expect for a decadent breakfast (or dessert). This fluffy cinnamon roll recipe is a classic. If you’re looking for a special breakfast, whether it’s a holiday or for no particular reason, try making it right away.

This homemade cinnamon roll recipe requires just one rise and rest. You can also make these the night before if you want cinnamon rolls overnight.

Related: Does this recipe make more than you need? If so, try making small batch cinnamon rolls instead.

material

• unsalted butter
• Milk – I usually use whole milk
• vanilla essence
• granulated sugar
• active dry yeast
• all-purpose flour
• salt
• big eggs
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• cream cheese
• Powdered sugar – also called confectioners’ sugar

I often bake in a 10.5 x 7.5 inch baking dish (the one pictured here), but a 9 x 13 inch pan also works well.

How to make cinnamon rolls

First, make the cinnamon roll dough. Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Add milk and vanilla extract and mix until warm. Remove from heat, add sugar and mix. Then sprinkle the yeast on top of this mixture and wait for a few minutes until it activates and becomes frothy.

Next, add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir together. Pour in the yeast mixture and eggs and stir together until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough comes together and is almost elastic. Lightly flour a bowl and place the dough ball inside. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Toward the end of the fermentation time, spread the cinnamon sugar. For cinnamon roll filling, some people like to spread softened butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top, but I like to mix softened butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and cream it with compound butter. I’ll make it.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the cinnamon-sugar filling over the entire surface of the rectangle. Roll this up and use a sharp knife to slice it into cinnamon rolls. First slice the roll in half, then slice those halves or 1/3. You can also use a measuring stick or ruler if you want to measure more precisely.

Place the rolled dough in a buttered baking dish. Let rest for 20 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool partially before adding the frosting glaze.

To make cream cheese frosting in a stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk. Spread the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and serve.

Tips and notes

• If the yeast doesn’t foam, it may be old, so check the expiration date on the package. I recommend starting over with fresh yeast.
• If your kitchen or house is not very warm at this time of year and you are worried that the dough will not rise, turn on the oven for a few minutes. Then turn off the power, put the dough inside and close the door to keep it warm. Make sure the oven is not hot enough to start baking the dough.
• I’ve even seen bakeries use unflavored dental floss to slice cinnamon rolls.
• The best way to avoid lumps in your cream cheese topping is to make sure your cream cheese is soft and whisk it first before adding the other ingredients. The next best option is to sift the powdered sugar into the glaze instead of dropping it from a measuring cup or spoon. But a few small lumps did not kill a person. 🙂
• I often place the baking dish on top of the baking sheet because it makes getting it in and out of the oven a little easier.
• If you want to make these cinnamon rolls the night before you plan to bake them, just follow the recipe and let them rest. Instead, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking the next day.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container or on a plate with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

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