Cinnamon rolls
Cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy spirals of bread rolled up with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling, baked snugly together in a pan and finished with a rich cream cheese frosting. While they are still warm, the cinnamon filling turns to caramel and the aroma fills the whole kitchen, making them perfect for a weekend breakfast.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr 50 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 59 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Bread dough
Cinnamon filling
Cream cheese frosting
Instructions
Step 1
Heat 240 g whole milk with 70 g unsalted butter over low heat just until the butter melts, turn off the heat, then add 60 g granulated sugar and let it cool a little. Yeast works best when the liquid is pleasantly warm, not hot. The mixture is ready when a drop on your wrist feels lukewarm, about 35 degrees Celsius.
Step 2
Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer, add 7 g instant yeast, 100 g eggs, 450 g bread flour and 7 g salt and knead on low speed, then increase to medium for about ten minutes. The dough needs enough gluten to roll up tightly without tearing and to rise soft in the oven. The dough is ready when it is soft and slightly tacky, pulls away from the sides of the bowl and stretches into a thin windowpane.
Step 3
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise somewhere warm for about 60 minutes. A dough rich in butter and eggs needs time for the yeast to lift it. The dough is ready when it has doubled and a fingertip pressed into it leaves a dent that stays.
Step 4
Mix 150 g brown sugar with 12 g ground cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside 60 g very soft unsalted butter ready for spreading. Only butter as soft as frosting spreads evenly without tearing the dough. The filling is ready when the sugar and cinnamon have blended into a uniform brown with no lumps.
Step 5
Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured counter into a rectangle of about 40 x 30 cm, spread the butter evenly over the surface, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top and leave a 2 cm strip bare along the far long edge. Then roll it up tightly from the long edge nearest you and pinch the seam closed. The bare strip of dough helps the roll seal firmly. The log is ready when it is evenly round and taut, with the seam underneath.
Step 6
Slide kitchen string under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull firmly to cut it into twelve equal slices, then arrange them cut side up in a buttered pan. Cutting with string keeps the spirals round instead of squashing them as a knife would. The slices are ready when they are about 3 cm thick and roughly 1 cm apart.
Step 7
Cover the pan and let the rolls rise for about 40 minutes more, preheating the oven to 180 degrees Celsius in the meantime. This rise lets the rolls puff up and press against one another for a soft interior. The rolls are ready when they have grown large and touch each other, and a gentle press leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Step 8
Bake on the middle rack at 180 degrees Celsius for about 22 to 26 minutes. Baking just long enough keeps the centers soft and moist while giving the cinnamon filling time to bubble and melt. The rolls are done when the tops are golden brown, the filling bubbles in the gaps and a thermometer in the center roll reads about 88 degrees Celsius.
Step 9
Beat 115 g cream cheese with 30 g softened unsalted butter until smooth, then sift in 120 g powdered sugar, add 4 g vanilla extract and keep beating on low speed. Cream cheese and butter at room temperature keep the frosting from turning lumpy. The frosting is ready when it is smooth and glossy and falls slowly in a thick ribbon when you lift the beater.
Step 10
Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then spread the frosting over the tops while they are still warm. The warmth melts the frosting slightly so it runs into the swirls. The rolls are ready when the frosting is spread evenly, dripping a little into the grooves and glossy on top.
Equipment
- Oven
- Rectangular pan
- Stand mixer
- Small saucepan
- Rolling pin
- Spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap
- Kitchen twine
Tips
- For warm rolls at breakfast, you can let the pan of cut rolls rise in the fridge overnight, then leave it out for about an hour the next morning before baking.
- Sprinkle pecans or raisins over the filling before rolling for extra flavor and texture.
- Pouring a little warm heavy cream into the bottom of the pan before the second rise makes the rolls extra soft and creates a caramel sauce at the bottom.
Storage
Covered, frosted rolls keep in the fridge for about three days; before eating, warm them in the microwave for about twenty seconds to soften them again. Unfrosted rolls can be frozen for up to a month.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The cinnamon filling all ran out onto the bottom of the pan.
- The butter in the filling was too runny or the log was not rolled tightly enough. Use softened butter rather than melted, roll firmly and pinch the seam closed.
- The center of the rolls pops up high.
- The log was rolled too tightly or the rolls did not rise enough the second time. Next time, roll moderately firmly and wait until the rolls have risen to touch each other before baking.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
