Dough
60g unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 1/2 teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast
Filling
69g unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Icing
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
60g unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
In a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Microwave on high 1 minute or until warm; whisk in the eggs. Place flour and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the liquid ingredients. Mix on low, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl from time to time, until the dough forms a soft mass and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low, knead dough, sprinkling with a tablespoon of flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to sides of bowl. When dough is smooth, not sticky, and springs back when you press it with your finger, you’ve kneaded enough (4 to 6 minutes). Place dough in a large, oiled mixing bowl and cover with a towel and let rise in warm place 45 to 60 minutes, or until almost doubled. (Note: if you do not have a dough hook, knead by hand on a floured cloth.)
Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll to a 16×20-inch rectangle. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread dough with the 60 grams butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Starting with shorter side, roll up dough to make a tight 16-inch cylinder. Cut into 12 rolls and place in a 13×9-inch buttered pan, spiral up. Cover with a towel and let rise in warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Bake at 180 degrees 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
For frosting, blend cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a food processor bowl or mixing bowl; spread over warm rolls.
Cinnamon rolls, simplified
Everyone loves the sweet breakfast pastry, but not everyone is willing to put in the time it takes to whip up a batch from scratch. These tips save time and headaches.
• Skip the proofing step by using instant (or bread machine) yeast instead of active dry yeast.
• Wiz up a hot roll mix, which contains flour, salt and instant yeast, then follow the recipe for Cinnamon Roll Dough to have rolls ready in about two hours.
• Invest in a Danish dough whisk. The stickiest dough won’t get stuck in this tool, which has two stiff metal loops.
• Use a serrated knife, or dental floss (wrapped around and crossed over and quickly pulled out) to cut cylinders of dough into rolls without smashing their round shape.
• Mix dough the night before, let it rise, then store it in the fridge until morning. The cold makes yeast go into hibernation.
• Bake and cool a batch of Classic Cinnamon Rolls, then stash them in the freezer. Next time you want cinnamon rolls, warm them in the oven and apply your favorite icing.