Cinnamon Rolls!

Mmm, cinnamon rolls. Who doesn’t love them? I certainly do, and can easily pack away three in one sitting. Hey, cut me some slack here, these are about half the size of the rolls you’d find at a bakery!

Oddly enough, cinnamon rolls are the one and only thing made of yeast dough that I actually prefer a day or two old. My other quirk regarding these delectable breakfast rolls is that those oh-so-sweet layers have to be paper-thin as well.

See what I mean?

I was very tempted to slather on a cream cheese frosting this time around, but I fought the urge and made them as per usual. Mostly because I can definitely do without the extra calories, and, believe it or not, I’ve never tried them frosted and don’t want to get spoiled, and I’m sure I would!

Without further ado, here is our version of a great cinnamon roll:

Basic bread dough:
1 Tbs. yeast
1 ½ Tbs. sugar, divided
1 ½ cups warm (around 100°F) water
3 ½ to 4 cups flour, divided
1 ½ Tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup peanut oil (you could use all butter if you like)
Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 ½ Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, very soft

Method:
Proof the yeast by combining with 1/2 Tbs. of the sugar and 1/2 cup of the water; let stand until foamy. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; place 1 cup of the flour, remaining sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water, butter and oil and beat until mixture is smooth and well combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment and begin adding the remaining flour, a cup at at a time as needed until dough is no longer sticky. Let the mixer knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. Turn the dough out,  oil the bowl very well and return dough to bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (a slightly warm oven works beautifully!) until doubled in volume, this will take around 45 minutes.

When the dough is nearly doubled, thoroughly mix together the filling ingredients.

Line a 9″x13″ pan with parchment paper and set aside. NOTE: It’s very likely that you will need a second, smaller pan, as I usually get 17 to 19 rolls from this recipe. So be prepared!

Turn dough onto a large floured surface and flatten into a rectangle. With a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough to your preferred thickness and spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough using an offset spatula.

Ready to bake

Roll up the dough, jellyroll style, starting with a short side. Slice the log into 2-inch segments and place on prepared pan. Cover pan(s) with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let stand for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake rolls approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers. They freeze exceptionally well!

And ready to eat!