Cinnamon Rolls

During this holiday season, I was home a lot more often and took advantage of sleeping in whenever I had the chance.  It's great to look forward to these tasty treats as great start to a wintery day.  I actually made these for a family brunch on Christmas morning.  There are two ways of making this dough, you can take the time to proof the dough twice or you can prep the dough in advance, before going to bed and then shape and roll the dough in the morning before breakfast.

Don't skimp out on the glaze!  There are some people I know who will omit frosting on cakes or glazing sweets when a recipe calls for it but don't do it here!  Without the yummy glaze these cinnamon buns are just not complete.  As for New Year's resolutions, just eat half of a cinnamon roll rather than skip out on the glaze.  It's all about moderation, right?

I rolled the risen dough on a floured counter to a 16 by 12-inch rectangle.  Using a ruler really helps.

The filling is then sprinkled over the buttered surface and a 3/4-inch border is left around the edge.

The rectangle is rolled into a tight cylinder and sealed with the seam-side down.

I sliced the log into 12 rolls and let it proof for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The rolls grew in size after being proofed.

Once they come out of the oven they should be puffed and golden brown.

The glaze is then generously applied to the cinnamon rolls.

It looks so enticing and it fills the house with a lovely aroma!

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Basic Sweet Dough

3/4 cup buttermilk, warm (110 degrees)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs

4 1/4 cups (21 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons)instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Rolls

3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Glaze

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Combine 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If after 5 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

For the Rolls:

Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle.  Brush the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over it, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge.  Press on the filling to adhere it to the dough.

Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper (or metal spatula), and roll the dough into a tight log.  Pinch the seam closed and roll the log seam side down.  Gently stretch the log to be 18 inches in length with an even diameter and pat the ends to even them.

Slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized rolls (about 1 1/2 inches wide) using a serrated knife.  Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared baking pan and wrap tightly with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the rolls until golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.

For the glaze:

Flip the rolls out onto a wire rack set over the sheet of parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and let cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk the confectioner's sugar, soften cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until smooth.  Flip the rolls upright, drizzle with the glaze, and serve.

To Make Ahead

Option 1:

Do not let the dough rise after rolling it into a ball but refrigerate it overnight or up to 16 hours; let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Option 2:

Once the rolls are sliced do not let the rolls rise, but refrigerate them overnight or up to 16 hours.  Let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, then bake as directed.

Source: America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book