Yeasty Cinnamon Rolls (podcast version)
Ingredients
- Sweet Yeast Dough
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 12 tablespoons 1 ½ sticks or ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 9 cups all purpose flour plus up to 1 cup more if needed
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- Filling Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter very soft
- Glaze
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4-6 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat water, milk and butter over medium low heat just until warm.
- Add eggs to warm milk mixture and whisk gently.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk sugar, white whole wheat flour, 2 cups of the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and yeast.
- Using the paddle attachment, slowly add the liquid ingredients on low speed.
- Raise the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
- Change to the dough hook attachment and slowly add remaining 7 cups of flour until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add up to one more cup of flour.
- Pour the dough onto a work surface and lightly knead it using a dough scraper to scoop it up and fold it over onto itself. It should be smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl turning the dough over so the greased side is up. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Prepare Cinnamon Filling: Whisk together cinnamon and sugar until well blended.
- Using a rubber spatula, blend butter into cinnamon sugar mixture. Set aside.
- Assemble Cinnamon Rolls: Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out one half of the dough into a 13 x 18” rectangle.
- Using an offset spatula spread one half of the cinnamon sugar butter over entire rectangle.
- Roll dough starting at the longer side into a tight spiraled log.
- Spray two 13” x 9” x 2” baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Using a long, sharp knife cut the log crosswise into 1-1½ inch thick slices. Place cinnamon rolls cut side up into the pans, you should have about 12 rolls total. It is ok if the rolls are touching.
- Repeat rolling out remaining half of the dough and fill and roll up as above. Cut into 12 more rolls and place into the remaining pan.
- Cover each pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for approximately 35 minutes or until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake cinnamon rolls for approximately 25 minutes or until light brown. Rotate pans midway through baking.
- Prepare glaze while rolls bake: In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and enough of the milk or cream until a thick glaze is created. The glaze should NOT be too thin.
- While they are still warm, drizzle or spread glaze over each pan of cinnamon rolls. Cool.
Notes
Makes approximately 2 dozen cinnamon rolls