Cinnamon Rolls

I don't know why, but the idea of baking with yeast has always intimidated me. Maybe it's the fact that the yeast is alive or maybe it's a fear that the dough won't rise or perhaps it's the prep time involved in it. Whatever the issue, whenever I came across a recipe that called for yeast, I'd simply skip over it.

My current job, however, has actually forced me out of my comfort zone and I have found myself making pizza and pretzel dough on several occasions all without incident. (Well, there was this one time, but let's not get into that...) So this week I decided that if I could handle yeast at work, then surely I'd be able to do just as well at home and I finally got around to baking something I've wanted to make for a long time: cinnamon rolls.

Unlike most people, I've never eaten at Cinnabun and cinnamon rolls have never been a breakfast staple for me (too sweet for so early in the morning), but on the rare occasions when I do indulge in a cinnamon roll it's a complete joy. This combined with the fact that I have always been more turned on to sweets than savory when it comes to baking is what inspired this project.

The recipe I found was very easy to follow and the dough came out quite nice. I used a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flour in the mixture because I am trying to eat healthier and it mostly tasted like whole wheat. This was fine by me since the flavor wasn't quite as overpoweringly rich, so that makes these rolls more of an option for breakfast.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1 cup milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 packets active dry yeast (1 1/2 tbs)

1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

For the Filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter, melted

For the Glaze:

1 cup powder sugar

2 Tbsp milk

Directions:

 

1. Heat up the milk until it is lukewarm (about 40 seconds in the microwave). Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer and then add the sugar and yeast. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is frothy. Next, with the mixer running, add in the softened butter, eggs and salt. Slowly begin adding in the flour until a soft dough forms (feel free to add more dough if the ball appears sticky (I actually added 1/4 cup more myself)). Using the dough hook attachment, beat the dough on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes. Next, form the dough into a ball and place in a well greased bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours, until it doubles in size.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare your baking pan (cake pan, pie dish, bundt pan, etc) coating it with vegetable oil or butter. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a 10x24 inch rectangle.

3. Once your dough is shaped take a small bowl and melt your butter. Using a pastry brush, coat the dough with the melted butter. In another bowl, place the cinnamon and brown sugar and mix until combined. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly along the dough. Next, carefully roll your dough length-wise until it forms a 24" log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 16 equal sized slices. 

 

4. Arrange rolls in the prepared baking pans and bake the rolls for about 25 minutes until  golden brown. Let cool. While the rolls cool prepare your glaze by whisking together the milk and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Once the rolls have cooled a little, drizzle the glaze over the top. Serve warm.

 

(Recipe adapted from Shopgirl blog.)