cinnamon rolls

On Sunday mornings, different people take turns bringing baked treats. After two weeks in a row of the best cinnamon rolls (same recipe, made by two different ladies), I had to ask for the recipe. My roommate tried the recipe first for our principal’s birthday breakfast surprise. The rolls were good, but not the same. The texture was off. We decided it might have something to do with our old yeast. They just didn’t seem to be as big and puffy as the rolls were both times our friends made them. I learned from her experience and doubled the yeast. Better, but not perfect. I need to try them again and perfect the “make at night, bake in the morning” routine. See note at the end for more explanation.

The recipe is convenient for those with a bread machine because the dough is done in the machine. If you don’t have a bread machine, click on the link to Allrecipes and read some of the comments to find by-hand adaptations.

CINNAMON ROLLS (makes 12)
from Allrecipes

for the dough
1 cup warm milk (110°F /45°C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 ½ cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp yeast (my yeast is old so I double this to 5 tsp)

for the filling
1 cup brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

for the frosting
3 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

PLACE ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Run dough cycle. When finished, remove, place on a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

ROLL dough into a 16 in x 21 in rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up and cut into 12 rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

BAKE at 400°F until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

**In my limited knowledge of yeast dough, it seems like my dough never rises enough in the desired time. I increased the yeast because mine is old and because the dough did not rise enough the first time. For convenience, I made the dough in the evening. Instead of allowing the dough to rise for 30 minutes, I covered it and placed it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I placed it in a cold oven. The dough continued to rise while the oven heated to 400°F. I baked it for about 10 or 12 minutes after it reached 400°F.

Because of the differences in each batch of dough and in ovens, don’t rely on timers. Judge by look, not time. In the future, I may bake longer at a slightly lower temperature because the tops got dark too quickly, while the rest of the dough was slightly undercooked.