Sometimes, I love to bake something classic, like these deliciously soft cinnamon rolls. There is something therapeutic in working with a yeast dough that I enjoy so much! You know….to punch down the dough, knead it to your heart’s content and then end up with a masterpiece that you are proud to proclaim is better than Cinnabon? No? Just me?
With holidays around the corner, this recipe makes 15 rolls and is perfect for a dinner gathering. You can reduce the recipe by half if you want to make fewer rolls (except for the yeast).
*Good To Know*
- I struggle with making yeast dough. Do you have any tips?
I have 6 tips on how to make foolproof yeast dough. You can read about it here. - How should I store cinnamon rolls?
Cinnamon rolls should be wrapped individually with plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. They will keep up to:
-2 days at room temperature
-7 days in the refrigerator
-3 months in the freezer - What other types of glaze can I make?
If you want added flavour, you can add a Tablespoon of coffee or espresso to the glaze. You can also make cream cheese frosting instead of a simple sugar glaze. - Can I reduce the recipe?
My recipe yields 15 rolls. You can reduce the recipe by half (except for yeast) if you want to make fewer rolls.
Ingredients you will need
For the yeast dough
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- kosher or sea salt
- bread flour
- instant yeast
- eggs (room temperature)
For the filling
- unsalted butter (room temperature)
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- kosher or sea salt
For the glaze
- powdered sugar
- whole milk or heavy cream
- vanilla sugar or extract
How to make the yeast dough
Preheat your oven on the lowest heat setting, 170°F (77°C), to create a warm environment for your dough to rise. It is a foolproof method that I have used for many years. For more tips on making a fail-safe yeast dough, you can read about it here. For the yeast dough (also known as sweet dough), melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan on the stovetop or heatproof glass bowl in the microwave. Make sure the sweet butter does not boil. Only warm it enough to add to your dough for the yeast to rise.
In a large heatproof bowl, melt together cold & cubed unsalted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir the mixture and heat for another 30 seconds on high in the microwave. Keep stirring the mixture until the butter completely melts and the sugar/salt dissolves into the butter. If you have a food thermometer, the temperature should read between 105°F – 115°F or 41°C – 46°C. Any hotter, and you take the risk of killing the yeast.
In your stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add 3 cups of bread flour, pour in the warm sweet butter, add yeast, and mix everything at low speed until combined. Add room temperature egg one at a time, scrape down the side of the bowl in between each addition and mix until everything is incorporated. Switch to a dough hook and add the remaining flour. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it is no longer sticky to the touch.
How to proof dough
In a large bowl, add 1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil. Shape your dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl to coat. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean hand towel over it. Place your dough into the prewarmed oven and turn the heat off. Set your timer to 1½ hours. No peeking! Keep the oven door closed until rise time is complete. You can read more about it here if you want to know more helpful tips in creating foolproof dough every time.
How to make cinnamon rolls
When rise time is complete, lightly puncture or punch down the dough with your hand to release air bubbles and scrape it out of the bowl onto your counter that is dusted with flour. Sprinkle a little flour onto the dough and flatten the dough with your rolling pin to a rectangular shape with 26-inch width x 20-inch length and a 1 cm thickness. Lightly dust your pin in between rolling to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
In a medium heat-proof bowl, melt cold butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt with the melted butter. Spread the cinnamon butter filling evenly onto your dough and leave a 2-inch gap closest to you (see pictures for reference). This gap will be the seam once you roll the dough together.
Start at the top and carefully roll dough into an even-sized log towards the edge with the 2-inch gap. Divide the dough log in half with a knife to make it easier for you to cut it into individual rolls. Brush the outside of the rolled logs with melted, unsalted butter.
In the past, I used a knife or a dough scraper to divide my cinnamon rolls but found that it flattened the rolls slightly and squeezed some of the fillings out. My new method is much easier by using a long sewing thread to cut the dough log into clean, perfectly shaped cinnamon rolls.
Lightly mark each dough log with a knife into even sections, then cut logs into 15 rolls using a clean, long sewing thread along each section you marked. Brush melted butter inside two 9×13-inch oven-safe baking dishes or pans. Flip rolls so that the filling is facing up and place them into the baking dish. I like to cover the rolls with a hand towel for a second rise, but you can also leave them uncovered.
Place them back into your prewarmed oven (like you did for the first rise) and let cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes until they have doubled in volume. After the second rise is complete, remove your baking pans from the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake one pan at a time on the middle oven rack for 25 – 35 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, heavy cream (or whole milk) and vanilla sugar (or extract). Glaze each cinnamon roll with 2 Tablespoons of icing. Remember that cinnamon rolls need to cool for 15 minutes before you add the glaze.
Soft Buttery Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the yeast dough
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cups brown sugar, packed
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole milk (3.25% homogenized)
- 7¾ cups bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 package)
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
For the filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1½ cups brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup heavy cream, or whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract, or 1 package vanilla sugar
Other
- ½ cup unsalted butter (for brushing), melted
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the dough
- Preheat oven on the lowest heat setting. Usually that is 170°F (77°C).
- In a large heatproof bowl, melt together cold & cubed unsalted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt & milk for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir the mixture & heat for another 30 seconds in the microwave. Keep stirring mixture until the butter completely melts & the sugar/salt dissolves into the butter. It should be warm to the touch or you can check temperature with a food thermometer. Butter should be between 105°F – 115°F or 41°C – 46°C. Set bowl aside.
- In your stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add 3 cups of bread flour, pour in the warm sweet butter, add yeast, and mix everything at low speed until combined. Incorporate 1 egg at a time & scrape down the side of the bowl in between each addition. Switch to a dough hook, add remaining bread flour & knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it is no longer sticky to the touch.
- Add 1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil to a large bowl. Shape your dough into a ball & roll it around in the bowl to coat it with oil. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap & place a clean hand towel on top. Turn off the oven heat, place the bowl into the oven & set your timer to 1½ hours. Leave the oven door closed during rising time. No peeking!
To make the cinnamon rolls
- Lightly puncture or punch down the dough with your hand to release air bubbles. & scrape it out of the bowl onto your counter dusted with flour. Sprinkle a little flour onto the dough & flatten dough with your rolling pin to a rectangular shape with 26-inch width x 20-inch length and a 1 cm thickness. Lightly dust your pin in between rolling to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, melt cold butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt with the melted butter. Spread the cinnamon butter filling evenly onto dough & leave a 2-inch gap closest to you. This gap will be the seam once you roll the dough together.
- Start at the top & carefully roll dough into an even-sized log towards the edge with the 2-inch gap. Divide the dough log in half with a knife to make it easier for you to cut it into individual rolls. Brush the outside of the rolled logs with melted, unsalted butter.
- Lightly mark each dough log with a knife into even sections, then cut logs into 15 rolls using a clean, long sewing thread along each section you marked. Brush melted butter inside two 9×13-inch oven-safe baking dishes or pans. Flip rolls so that the filling is facing up & place them into the baking dish.
- Place baking dishes back into your warmed oven (like you did for the first rise) and let cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes. Rolls will double in volume and swell into each other. After the second rise is done, remove the baking pans out of the oven and preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake one pan at a time on the middle oven rack for 25 to 35 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, whole milk & vanilla sugar (or extract). Glaze each cinnamon roll with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of icing. Remember that cinnamon rolls need to cool for 15 minutes before you add the glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- 2 days at room temperature
- 7 days in the refrigerator
- 3 months in the freezer
