Homemade cinnamon rolls

Angi's Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe makes a 9x13 pan. For church functions, I double this recipe. It takes about 2-1/2 hours to complete this recipe from beginning to end.

Dough:

  • 1 c. warm milk (about 115°F)
  • 2-1/2 tsp. instant dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/3 c. butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 4-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Dough Instructions:

  • Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop.
  • Add the eggs, butter, salt and sugar.
  • Add the flour and mix using the beater blade just until the the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes for the flour to soak up some of the liquids.
  • Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
  • Beat the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. NOTE: The dough will be sticky and tacky. It will stick to the sides of the bowl and to your fingers and is incredibly hard to get off your hands when you touch it. This is normal. You will be tempted to add more flour -- but DON'T! Trust me. It's supposed to be this sticky!
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.
  • Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl.
  • Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. (NOTE: I turn on my oven until it reaches 120°F and then turn it off and place the bowl inside the over.) It takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise more than double or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.
  • While the dough rises, prepare the filling.

Filling:

  • 1/2 c. butter, almost melted
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream (for pouring over the rolls)

Filling Instructions:

  • In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well until combined.
  • Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
  • Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about 12x15" rectangle.
  • Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
  • Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style.
  • Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9x13" baking (cake) pan.
  • Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don't make it hot, just warm to the touch.
  • Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak all around the rolls.
  • Bake for 17-19 minutes. Rolls are done when they are lightly golden brown, and the center rolls are cooked through. Use a toothpick to test.
  • While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.

Frosting:

  • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 c. butter, softened
  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. maple or vanilla extract

Frosting Instructions:

  • In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Mix well.
  • Add in your favorite extract, mixing well to incorporate. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.
  • Store in an airtight container (if there are any leftovers!)

NOTES:

  • When doubling for larger batches, you will probably need to split the dough in half when putting in mixer because it's a lot of dough. Matter fact, it is too much for my Kitchenaid to handle. So I pre-mix the dough at the beginning but when putting on the dough hook to knead the dough for the 5-7 minutes, I remove half of the dough and knead it by hand while the mixer does the other half. I then combine them all back together in the large greased bowl to rise.
  • At the very beginning, I heat the milk on the stove with a thermometer to reach the 115° mark. I then add it to the mixer bowl and add the yeast. Those usually sit for about 5 minutes because I typically forget to take out the eggs from the refrigerator to get them to room temp. So I warm the eggs in a bowl of hot water. While those are warming, I melt the butter in the microwave. Once that is melted, the eggs are warm and everything can then go into the mixer bowl with the milk and yeast.
  • When putting the rolls in a pan, be sure you use a pan with high sides, like a cake pan, and not a rimmed baking sheet (as I did once!). The heavy cream will spill over the sides while baking and it makes a HUGE mess! So be sure you use a cake pan to put your rolls in to hold the cream in and around the rolls.
  • When making the frosting, beat cream cheese with softened butter until thoroughly combined, then add the vanilla (or whatever extract). Then mix well again. Then slowly add the powdered sugar.