Grandma's Famous Cinnamon Rolls
November 21st, 2017
This Recipe creates 12 servings
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
This is the best cinnamon roll recipe in the world. My Mother made these rolls for years, as an "undocumented" family recipe. Here it is at last, recorded for posterity. I have made a few minor refinements to simplify the preparation. The Prep time for this recipe is only about 30 minutes, with a 4 hour to 12 hour wait time while the dough rises.
Ingredients:
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Dough: Dry Ingredients
4 Cups (17.5 Ounces/500 Grams) All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Yeast
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Dough: Wet Ingredients
1.25 Cups Milk, heated to 95° to 110° Fahrenheit
1 Egg (warmed to room temperature)
2 Tablespoon Brown Butter
1/3 Cup (76 Grams) Sugar
Vegetable Oil or Butter to coat the pan.
Filling
2 Tablespoons Brown Butter
1.5 Tablespoons Cinnamon Powder
3/4 Cup White Sugar
Glaze
This is not the original glaze used by Grandma, but I think it improves on a great cinnamon roll:
4 Ounces softened Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese
4 Ounces / 112 Grams Confectioners' Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Directions:
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In a mixer or bread maker, mix the dry ingredients (the Flour, Yeast, and Salt).
In a separate bowl, mix the warm Milk, Sugar, and Butter. Stir until the Sugar is dissolved.
Whisk in the Egg and ensure the Milk, Eggs, Butter, and Sugar are fully integrated.
Add the Milk mixture into the Flour mixture.
Mix until all of the Flour is mixed in. Knead for a minute or two until the dough is fully mixed.
Do not over-knead the dough.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.
Use additional Flour, as needed to ensure that the dough does not stick to the table or the rolling pin.
After rolling out the dough, brush (or use your clean hands) to cover it with melted Butter.
Sprinkle with White Sugar and the Cinnamon.
Ensure that the Butter, Sugar, and Cinnamon are spread all the way to the edges of the rolled out dough.
Start at one end and of the flattened dough and roll it up into a single large roll. Use a thin metal spatula or a dough scraper to ensure that the dough doesn't stick to the table as you roll.
Slice the roll into 12 equally-sized Cinnamon Rolls.
Cover the inside of a large 9x13 casserole dish with a light coating of Vegetable Oil or Butter, ensuring that the entire internal surface is sufficiently greased.
Space the Cinnamon Rolls in the pan about an inch apart, then cover with a thin (clean) towel or plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise until all the Cinnamon Roles are all touching (about 4 hours) or, you can give your rolls a better flavor by placing the dough overnight in the refrigerator to cold ferment.
Cooking Instructions:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow the dough to warm-up to room temperature.
When the dough reaches room temperature, pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Place the uncovered rolls into the heated oven.
Bake the Rolls for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the Rolls are browned lightly on the top.
While the Rolls are in the oven, mix the Glaze until smooth and creamy.
Remove the Rolls from the oven. Microwave the glaze for 1 minute.
Pour and spread the glaze over the Rolls, ensuring that you cover the top of each Roll completely.
Serve Warm.
