How to Bake Cinnamon Rolls

Baking the world a better place, one bread at a time!

Fun and yummy #multigradelevel#homeschooling activity.

“It’s all about a balancing act between time, temperature and ingredients: That’s the art of baking.” (Peter Rein-hart)

CINNAMON ROLL

These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise.

Ingredients:
Rolls:
2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
½ cup (120ml) milk
¼ cup (60ml) water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 pc large egg

Filling:
3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Icing
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) strong coffee or milk

Instructions:

1. Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Set
   aside.
2. Combine the milk, water, and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the
   stove and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 110°F).
   Pour into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir until it forms a soft dough or use your
   mixer.
3. On a lightly floured surface using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Place in
   a lightly greased bowl (I use non-stick spray), cover loosely, and let rest for about 10
   minutes.
4. Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8 inch rectangle. Spread the
   softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle it all over the
   dough. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly
   greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish.
5. Rise: Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a
   warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes. See blog post above for my trick to this
   step!
6. Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
   Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too
   brown too quickly, loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and continue baking.
7. Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and coffee/milk
   together. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.
8. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room
   temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning,
   remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour.
   Continue with step 6.
3. Freezing Instructions: Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in
   the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here’s how: bake the rolls in step 6 for only about 10 minutes at 375°F (191°C). Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and
   put into the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Then, finish baking them.