Cinnamon Rolls
It is still warm in the “Arklahoma” area but our mornings and evenings are starting to be cooler and all the fall things are starting. Ive made several pumpkin pies and cinnamon rolls lately and I’ve got plans for rosemary pork loin and baked apples this week… My favorite fall meal. Im pretty sure it makes my house smell better than cinnamon rolls. I guess I’ll have to share that recipe next! But as for today… I’m sharing the cinnamon rolls.
I’ll just tell you right now that I’m no bread expert. Im really just winging it and my kneading times can vary greatly depending on the feeling of the dough. I usually use my mixer and dough hook to knead but you can do it by hand or use a bread machine! I actually bought my bread machine for $10 at the thrift store and they had tons of them. I have never baked in it but I’ve used it to start my dough plenty of times. Its a great thing to have around if you want to be making bread regularly.
One main rule is to not skimp on the butter, sugar, or cinnamon! You’ll notice that it seems like quite a lot of butter when you are putting it on and you will have puddles of it. As soon as you put the sugar and cinnamon on though, it will soak up all the buttery goodness. If you’re on a diet… I’m sorry. If you’re going to be eating the calories, you might as well make it taste like its worth it though!
Cinnamon Rolls
1 Pkg Yeast - 1/4 oz
1/2 cup - Water (warm)
1/2 cup - Warmed milk
1/4 cup - White sugar
1/3 cup - Melted butter
1 tsp - Salt
1 egg
3 1/2 cups - Flour (plus more for kneading)
1/2 cup - Melted butter
3/4 cup - White sugar
2 tbsp - Cinnamon
Dissolve yeast in your 1/2 cup warm water. In a large bowl (or in your mixing stand) combine milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg. Add half of your flour and mix until fully incorporated. Next add the dissolved yeast and mix in remaining flour until dough is forming a ball and easy to handle. Knead dough in stand mixer on med-low for 1-4 min or on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Put in a buttered or greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size. Depending on your yeast and how warm your room is, 1 - 2 hours.
After your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface. It should be roughly a 16 in. x 10 in. rectangle. Spread the melted butter all over your dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon and spread over the buttered dough. Starting from the long side of the rectangle, role up the dough, being sure to keep it tight. Pinch along the line running down the finished roll, to keep the rolls tucked (I didn’t do this and you can tell in my picutures!). Slice into 12 to 15 rolls.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place cinnamon roll slices about 1 - 2 in. apart in a pan lined with parchment paper and let rise until dough is doubled in size (30 - 45 min). Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Put icing on while still warm!
Cream Cheese Frosting
6 tbsp - Butter (soft)
8 oz - Cream cheese (soft)
2 - 4 cups - Powdered sugar
1 tbsp - Vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese until well blended.
Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well between cups, until your desired thickness and sweetness. Mix in vanilla.
