Perfect Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

What’s not to love about a freshly baked Cinnamon Roll?! They are billowy soft, with plenty of gooey frosting oozing over the edges. This recipe delivers exactly just that!

For most of my childhood, I admit that I loved baking those cinnamon rolls that come in a cardboard tube.  You know…the one with pudgy dough boy on the label.  As a young and aspiring baker, I’d unroll that tube, searching for that prized frosting.  Of course, I had to dip my fingers to grab a sneak preview of that sugary goodness.  Heaven! As a skinny kid, I could eat almost eat a whole pan of these. Only, I have two brothers who are older and bigger than their one and only sister–so I never got a chance to test that theory.

Fast forward to the new Debby– the revamped “new and improved home cook and baker”, who is on a mission to make all things from scratch.  Only, I’d never made a yeast version of cinnamon rolls from scratch!   I did some recipe researched and I decided to try  King Arthur Flour’s Cinnamon Rolls recipe.  I’m a huge fan of King Arthur Flour products, and my pantry has an impressive array of products I’ve ordered from their internet site. 

Behold– Baker’s Cinnamon Filling and Easy Roll Dough Improver, which you can order from their website. I’ve used the dough improver with all of my recent yeast roll recipes, and I do think it helps to make dough a lot easier to work with.  I had never used the cinnamon filling, so come along and I’ll share with you some tips and tricks to make this surprisingly user-friendly recipe:

I use instant yeast so that I don’t have to mix it with water and sugar and wait for 15 minutes. You can use regular yeast, and my recipe card will give you  both options. My Kitchen Aid Stand mixer does all the hard work, combining flour, sugar, dry milk, butter and mashed potato flakes, for about 7 minutes.

TIP: I preheat my oven on WARM for a few minutes, then turn it off. 
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours. Rising may take longer, especially if you’ve kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.

I mixed water with the cinnamon filling, per the package instructions. I’m loving the consistency. Otherwise, mix cinnamon and sugar; brush the dough with milk and sprinkle your cinnamon/sugar mixture. The milk helps it to stick. 

I’m smiling as this lovely filling “schmears” right onto the dough, that I’ve rolled out to measure 16 x 12″. I like it!  I then roll the dough into a log the long way; stretching it to about 20” long as I roll.. Here’s a tip from King Arthur that worked great…. use unflavored dental floss (unused, of course…like I need to say that??)

The floss cuts through the dough, without smashing each piece. Brilliant! Otherwise, in order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Floss is way easier, believe me.

I am using a cake pan, that I’ve lined with parchment paper. King Arthur Flour sells pre-cut parchment paper for both 8″ and 9″ pans. I love them and use them often, because they make my life easier. Otherwise, grease the pans well, if you don’t use parchment paper.

I yielded two pans of rolls. Back into the cozy oven (heat turned off) they go for less than an hour…

 

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Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

Warm cinnamon rolls are available at every airport, every mall, and many fast-food outlets. So why make your own? Because YOU control what's in them, using your own butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and other natural (not chemical-laden) ingredients. And besides, there's nothing like pulling warm rolls right out of your own oven!

Prep Time4 hours hrs

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword: Cinnamon Rolls

Servings: 16

Calories: 215kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast orr 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 7/8 cups lukewarm water to 1 1/8;110F is perfect
• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• Use the lesser amount in summer
• Cinnamon Filling
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons milk to brush on dough
• Vanilla Glaze
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons milk enough to make a soft, spreadable icing

Instructions

• First, make the dough. If you’re using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons in the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
• Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the dough ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you’ve made a smooth dough.
• If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours. Rising may take longer, especially if you’ve kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.
• While the dough is rising, lightly grease two 9″ round cake pans.
• Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. You should have a nice, soft dough, and pats out easily.
• To make the filling, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
• NOTE: I buy King Arthur Flour’s Baker’s Cinnamon Filling, which truly makes the best cinnamon filling for these rolls.
• Brush the dough lightly with milk.
• Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, covering the entire surface.
• Roll the dough into a log the long way; it’ll stretch to about 20″ long as you roll.
• Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 16 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices.
• NOTE: I use a piece of (unused, obviously, unscented dental floss. These make perfect cutes!
• Space eight rolls in each of the prepared pans. Flatten them gently.
• Cover the pans, and let the rolls rise till they’re noticeably puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours; they should spread out and start to crowd one another.
• While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Bake the rolls till they’re brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20 minutes.
• If you’re going to serve the rolls immediately, make the icing while the rolls are baking. Combine the sugar, vanilla, and enough cream or milk to make a spreadable icing. If you’re not serving the rolls immediately, don’t make the icing yet.
• Remove the rolls from the oven, and loosen their edges with a knife. Turn them out of the pan onto a rack. To enjoy right away, spread with the icing and serve.
• To serve the rolls later, allow them to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Fifteen minutes before you’re ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the rolls, place them on an ungreased baking sheet, and tent lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re nicely warmed.
• While the rolls are reheating, make the icing.
• Remove the rolls from the oven, and spread with the icing. Serve immediately.

Notes

MY TIP: Turn the oven to WARM for 3 minutes, then turn it off. This creates a warm and draft-free place to let dough rise. This speeds up the process so well, that my dough is usually ready in an hour! I use active rapid rise yeast, for fool-proof results.

For the amount of water:  in a humid environment, the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Yes, you can proof the dough overnight in the fridge. Bring to room temperature the next morning and allow to proof. Then proceed to bake and ice.

Recipe source: King Arthur Flour

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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