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Classic Sweet Dough Cinnamon Rolls

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  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 2.5 hours
  • Cook Time: 26 Minutes
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 10-12 Rolls 1x
  • Category: Breakfast, Breads
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Classic Sweet Dough Cinnamon Rolls are tender, sticky, cinnamony finger-licking good.  You can also refrigerate the dough rolls and bake them off the next day.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

  • 1 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)
  • 1 packet active dry yeast, .25 ounce
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (make sure it’s not hot)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • Vegetable oil for oiling bowl.
  • Butter for greasing baking dish

Filling:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to spreading consistency
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing:

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons real butter, softened
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk or half & half


Instructions

Dough:

  1. Make sure milk is very warm, but not hot.  Add the yeast to the milk and using a spoon, gently mix the yeast into the milk, making sure all of the yeast is wet.  Set aside
  2. Add the sugar, melted butter and salt to the large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Mix to combine.  Add the yeast/milk mixture and mix on medium-low speed just to combine.  Add the eggs and mix on medium speed until eggs are incorporated.  Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment.  Note: It’s hard to incorporate the eggs with the dough attachment.  That’s why I use both the paddle and the dough hook attachments in this recipe.
  3. Add the flour and turn mixer on low until the flour is all moist.  Turn mixer to medium and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, yet sticks to the bottom.  This will take about four minutes.  The dough should be very elastic if you pull it with your fingers but not sticky.
  4. Transfer the dough to a well-greased bowl, turning dough over once.  Cover with a towel and place in an oven tht has been preheated to 165 degrees and turned off.  Leave the door ajar.  You can also opt to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm area in your kitchen, but make sure it’s free of any drafts.  Allow dough to rise until it’s almost doubled in size.  This can take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on how warm the environment is.
  5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Roll the dough out into a large rectangle.

Filling:

  1. Liberally butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by13-inch baking dish.
  2. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
  3. Brush the dough with the softened butter, stopping 1/2 inch from the edges.  Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the buttered part of the dough.
  4. Starting with the edge of the long side nearest you, gently roll the dough up as tightly as possible.  When finished rolling, brush some softened butter along the very edge of the unrolled edge of dough.  This will be your glue for seaming the dough together.  Using your fingertips, go along the seam, pinching it together with your fingers.to seal the dough.  Roll the cylinder of dough over, so the seam is on the underneath side.  Using your hands, firm up the dough, making it even in width from one end to the other.  Using a serrated knife cut the dough into 10 even rolls, about 1 3/4 inches each in thickness.  You can also use dental floss to cut the rolls.
  5. Arrange rolls in buttered baking dish, cut side up.  Bake the same day or hold until the next day for baking.

a. Same day baking: If you want to bake rolls the same day, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to sit in a warm environment until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

b.  Next day baking:  If you want to bake rolls the next day, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  The next day, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to sit for 1 hour at room temperature before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  1. Bake the rolls until they are golden brown on top, about 25 minutes.  Allow rolls to cool slightly while making the icing.  Rolls should be warm but not hot when spreading the icing on them.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing:

  1. Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until it’s smooth and free of any lumps. Add the butter, salt, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.  Add the powdered sugar gradually on low speed until incorporated.  Add the half & half and mix on medium speed until semi-thin and creamy.  At this point, make the icing the consistency that you prefer. I don’t prefer a really thick icing.  I like one that is a medium consistency and will slightly melt and run into the crevices on the warm rolls.
  2. Spread the icing over the tops of the warm rolls and enjoy them while they’re warm!
  3. Cover the leftover rolls securely and store at room temperature for up to one day.

Freezing Instructions:

Unbaked –  Follow recipe through step 5a, but only bake rolls for 10 minutes and remove them from the oven.  Allow them to cool completely, then wrap them very tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze them for up to 3 months.  When ready to bake, allow rolls to thaw completely in the refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and finish baking the rolls.

Baked – I don’t suggest freezing rolls with frosting.  Tightly wrap rolls and freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months.


Notes

  • I used active dry yeast in this recipe.  Active dry yeast has to be proofed before using in a recipe.  If you use instant or rapid rise yeast, they do not have to be proofed in warm water or milk first.  They can both be added directly to the other ingredients.
  • Yield depends on the size you want your rolls to be.  You can make 12 normal size rolls or 10 larger ones like I did here.