I am teaching, tonight, how to make cinnamon rolls to a small group of women from church. I am NOT an expert when it comes to bread making. My mother is, but, sadly, I never learned by osmosis. The most I did growing up was snag a handful of her already wonderful dough to turn into a little bread snake - oh, goodness, she made good bread.
But my mother-in-law gave me a great recipe for dinner rolls that I've converted a little, tossed in some brown sugar and cinnamon and came up with a yummy recipe for cinnamon rolls. What can I say? The family loves it. And everyone keeps asking me how to make them. So I'll share here. Take it for what it's worth. I really am NOT an expert, but because it's my own modification, I put my name on it simply because it's the way I make them:
This is the recipe all in a nutshell (note, it's been modified to add the salt at the end instead of with the milk). You can let it go at that, or read further for step-by-step instructions.
How I assemble my rolls:
Step 1: The Yeast
There are entire discussions about yeast. We won't go into them here. Bottom line is this: make sure your yeast is fresh (I keep my large bag in the freezer and pull small amounts into a jar I keep in the fridge for easy access), make sure your water is very warm but not too hot, and give it a small amount of sugar to make those little yeastie beasties super happy.
Quick rising yeast or regular yeast? I haven't tried this recipe with quick rising, but it's worth an experiment. Anything to speed the process, right?
Okay, set that yeast aside and just let it grow while you work on the next steps.
Step 2: The Milk
There are also entire discussions about scalding or not needing to scald the milk. Today's milk doesn't require the same scalding requirements because it is pasteurized, but there are apparently still some enzymes (or proteins, or something microscopic) that can actually attack the yeast which pasteurization doesn't kill. Even if not, I like to melt my butter in the milk and I like a good warm milk as a basis for the dough. It helps the yeast remain happy and growing.
So, heat 2 cups milk on the stove or in the microwave. Make sure not to overheat it or allow it to boil as that will destroy some of the necessary proteins. Once small bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan it is warm enough to be considered scalded. Remove from heat and cut up the cube of butter into smaller pieces and add to the milk, allowing them to melt.
Step 3: Sugar and (maybe) Salt with a dash of Vanilla
I like to stir the sugar (3/4 to 1 cup, depending on how sweet you like your dough) into the milk after the butter is melted. I usually add the 1 tsp salt here as well, but I've learned just as I was preparing this that it may be better to wait until you've allowed the dough to rest (after all the other ingredients are mixed). Something about how the salt interacts with the gluten. Add your vanilla (optional) to the milk as well.
Step 4: Mix in half the flour
Pour the milk/sugar/butter into a mixer bowl. If it is still quite hot, allow it to cool a little before mixing in your flour.
Note: If you have a heavy duty mixer or breadmaker, you can mix all the roll dough with your machine. If you only have a handheld mixer, you can still mix the first cups of flour, eggs, and yeast, and then move to finishing the process by hand.On a low to medium speed, add 1 cup white flour to the milk and mix well. Then add a second cup to it.
Check out your yeast. It should still be actively growing.
Step 5: Add the eggs
Crack open your eggs into a separate container before adding the eggs, one at a time, to the flour/milk mixture. Trust me. Fishing eggshell out of bread dough is not an easy task.
Step 6: One more cup flour and (finally) the yeast
After mixing in the eggs, add another cup of flour (this should be the third cup you've added to the milk) and mix it. By now your yeast should have doubled in size and be mounding nicely.Pour the yeast into the dough mixture and mix well.
If you are using a hand mixer, you will need to start mixing in the remaining flour by hand at this point.
You will need to add one more cup of flour (four cups to this point). And then take a break. It's called resting the dough. The gluten needs time to absorb the water and do whatever it is that gluten does. About five minutes works, or longer if you just got interrupted by one of your little miracles.
Step 8: Salt (if you did not add it to the milk) and remaining flour:
When you return to the dough, it should have lost some of its stickiness. Add the salt if you did not add it to the milk earlier, and just enough additional flour for the dough to start pulling away from the mixer bowl as it is being beat, or for it to be manageable and not sticky if kneading by hand. Knead well or mix with the mixer until the flour is well distributed.
Step 9: Allow the dough to rise
Step 10: Walk away for a couple of hours
You have time to read a chapter or two, or make a potato salad (from start to finish). Laundry. Cleaning the bathroom. Changing the beds. Or maybe just washing all the dishes you just dirtied. Read a story to your toddler. Take a break. Raising the dough to about double its size is beneficial to making great cinnamon rolls. Just keep an eye on the dough and don't let it rise too high - at a point it will run down the sides of the bowl and all over your oven or counter - NOT where you want the dough to be. When you see the dough starting to mound pushing up the towel, you know it's ready to move on to the next step.
Step 11: Rolling out the dough and making it into cinnamon rolls
Here's the fun part. Your kids will want to help you with this step, especially if they get to sample the dough (I won't tell anyone if you don't). You can even give them a little dough to make their own snake sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, if you'd like to get the mommy of the year award. It works!
Whoa, though. Before you start rolling the dough (which will give you dough hands for sure), prepare your pans. I love pan spray and parchment paper for easy clean up later. This recipe makes a large cookie sheet full of cinnamon rolls.
Now assemble the goodies you want to sprinkle on top. Melt one cube of butter, and find your pastry brush. Get your brown sugar out. I like to add some white sugar as well. And cinnamon for sure. Some people like to combine all those ingredients into a nice crumbly mixture to spread over the dough. It's a little more consistent. But consistency is not my forte. So I just gather everything and start sprinkling.One word about raisins: If you like raisins added to your rolls, check them out. If they are good and soft and fresh, add them straight from the bag. But if they're getting a little old and are starting to dry out a touch, you may want to boil them in some water just long enough to soften them, and then drain them well before sprinkling over the dough. Chopped nuts are also a yummy addition.
Okay, now get yourself another large scoop of flour and that rolling pin. Flour your rolling area well, whether you're using your freshly cleaned counter top or a pastry mat, or whatever. You will want to give yourself a nice floured surface to prevent or minimize dough sticking to it. Roll it out into a long rectangle about 1/3" thick.
Now spread the melted butter over the top of the dough. A pastry brush is a great help, but the back of a large soup spoon works well, too.And now comes the yummiest part. I love the caramel goodness the butter and brown sugar combine to make. So I like to add a lot of brown sugar. You may not want it to ooze out and caramelize on the bottom of the pan or prefer something a little less rich so this is a great time to individualize the recipe. Sprinkle with cinnamon, remembering that as the dough spreads so will the toppings so you will want them more concentrated at this point. Add raisins and/or nuts if you like.
Step 12: Cinnamon Rolls
Now start rolling the dough along the long edge. Seal in the outer edge by pinching together with the layer underneath it.
Cut them about 1 1/2" to 2" wide and place on your cooking tray, leaving space for raising between each roll. I use a pizza cutter to cut mine. I know people who love to use dental floss (unflavored) to give a smooth cut without smashing the rolls.
They will need to rise again before baking. This time, however, it only takes about a half hour to 45 minutes, until double in size. Start preheating your oven after they are about halfway through rising. They bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 13: Bake Them
They bake fast. So watch them and pull them out of the oven when they have started to brown nicely. This only takes about ten to twelve minutes.
These are perfectly fine to eat just this way, but, of course, I love mine frosted. So one more step:
Step 14: Frosting and Eating
Spread buttercream or cream cheese icing over the tops of the rolls while they are still warm so the icing can melt down into the centers a little. But I dare you to wait until they are cool enough they don't burn your tongue before you dive in to eat them.
After they have cooled, you can always reheat them for 10 seconds in the microwave to restore that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. So yummy. Worth the effort!
Addendum: I made three batches of cinnamon rolls in order to accomplish this for the class. I did not add the salt to any of them until after the resting stage. And the rolls all came out larger, fluffier and better consistency than I've ever noticed before. There really may be something to that issue of salt creating issues with the gluten.
Second Addendum (8/14/17): Someone at the class suggested trying to raise them slowly overnight in the refrigerator. Tried that Saturday night and woke up to dough like heaven, firm and ready to roll out. Used floured parchment paper to roll it out on, but didn't need to add much flour to the dough. This is the way to go, people! When I was done rolling out the dough, all I had to do was gather up the paper and toss it in the garbage. A little flour slop over wiped up easily. Minimal mess, easy Sunday morning rolls without much fuss. And they tasted fabulous. I call that win/win/win!
