These cinnamon rolls are the perfect breakfast indulgence. These buttery soft rolls are filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with icing. They are perfect with a cup of coffee, part of a brunch spread, or for a special holiday celebration.
There is nothing better than having the smell of cinnamon rolls fill your kitchen in the morning. These soft and sweet treats make the perfect addition to your special breakfast. These are great for making mom or dad feel special for Mother’s and Father’s Day, as part of your Easter celebration or as a special treat for your family. My favorite way to enjoy these is with a nice cup of hot coffee or tea.
Table of Contents
In this recipe
The best thing about cinnamon rolls is that you are more than likely to have all of the ingredients in your kitchen/pantry, so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to make these.
Cinnamon: is the classic flavor backbone of this recipe so you will want to use a good cinnamon.
Nutmeg: a complimentary warming spice that will give the rolls a little extra oomph.
Brown sugar: will add a rich molasses flavor to the cinnamon rolls.
How do I know when my dough is risen enough?
The quick and easy answer to this is when it doubles in size. This time is going to vary based on your altitude, ambient temperature, and even humidity depending on whether you use cling film or not. The warmer your kitchen the faster the rise, and high altitudes will also increase the rising speed due to lower air pressure. In order to accommodate for this, you will want to check your dough 15-20 minutes earlier than the recipe calls out to prevent over-proofing.
Making cinnamon rolls
Once you have rolled out the dough you will spread out the filling taking it to three of the edges of the dough. You will want to leave 0.5-1” clearance on one of the longest edges. This will be the outside of the roll and keeps the filling from escaping the end. Then take the other long edge and gently roll the dough until you get to the other end. You do not want to tightly pack the roll as this will stretch the dough and add tension. It is ok if it feels a bit loose. Once the second rise happens the issue will disappear.
Using dental floss to cut cinnamon rolls?
As weird as it sounds, I have found it easier to use unflavored dental floss than slicing the roll log with a knife. When you use a knife, it can smash the rolls down and push some of the filling out of the roll. The easiest way to use the floss is the first score the top of the log to divide it into 12 equal sections including marking the ends where the dough is uneven.
Then slide the floss under the log until you get to the first score mark. Make a complete loop where the cross of the floss ends aligns with a score mark and pull until the floss completely passes through. Repeat with the remaining marks until you have 12 rolls. Place them into your baking dish and cover for the second rise.
What is over-proofing?
This is when the yeast continued to convert the sugar in the dough and it more than doubles in size. When it gets too large the structure of the dough can be ruined. This can cause the bread to collapse during or immediately after cooking. It can also cause a dense and dry crumb and large air bubbles. How this relates to cinnamon rolls is that they will collapse and shrink in on each other and dry out easily.
Looking for other brunch recipes?
Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cling film
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Plain floss or thin twine/string
Ingredients
Dough
- 3½ cups flour
- ¾ cup milk whole
- ¼ cup butter unsalted softened
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon filling
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Glaze
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Making the dough
- Heat the milk to 110°F or 43°C.¾ cup milk whole
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the milk, sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes. The milk should have a layer of bubbles on top.¾ cup milk whole, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Add the flour, salt, eggs and butter to the milk and mix on low, the first 2 speed settings, until the dough ball pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5-10 minutes.3½ cups flour, ¼ cup butter unsalted, 2 eggs, 1½ teaspoon salt
- Roll into a ball, gently poke the ball of dough and if it springs back, a small dent is ok, the dough is ready to rise. If the outside isn’t smooth and does not spring back then knead for another 5 minutes on the counter by hand.
- Place the bough ball into a bowl lightly greased with butter, cover with cling film and allow to rise until doubled. This can take between 45-90 minutes depending on the temperature of the kitchen.
Making the filling
- Using a spatula combine the cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, sugar, and butter. Mix until the dry paste forms, it may be a little clumpy and that is ok.½ cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Making the cinnamon rolls
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to a 12 x 18-inch rectangle.
- With a spatula spread the filling evenly across the dough leaving about a 1-inch margin on one of the longer sides.
- Starting with the other longer side gently roll the dough to create long log.
- Using a length of floss create a loop around the end of the log and pull until it slices through the roll to create a flat side. Repeat on the other end.
- Use a knife to score 11 evenly spaced marks across the top of the rolls. Repeat the same cutting technique with the floss and place the rolls into the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with cling film and allow to double in size, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, 177°C, or gas mark 4.
- Remove the cling film and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a mixing bowl combine the powdered sugar and milk. Once the rolls have slightly cooled spoon or pour the glaze over the rolls.1¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk
Nutrition
