Homemade Traditional Cinnamon Rolls
These delightful Cinnamon Rolls consist of a soft, yeasted dough rolled out and filled with a delicious mixture of butter, cinnamon, and sugar. These are a classic version of cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ¼ cup lukewarm water 60 ml
- 2 3/4 teaspoons (9 grams) of active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoon (7 grams) instant dry yeast. *See recipe notes if using instant dry yeast.
- 4 to 4 ½ cup all-purpose flour, more as needed 480 grams or more
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 10 grams
- 1 cup milk 8 oz or 250 ml
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick or 113gr
- 1 egg at room temperature 50 gr without shell
Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature 57 grams
- 1 cup light brown sugar 200 grams
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 12 grams
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
Icing
- 4 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature 113g
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 28g
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 120g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 tablespoon milk 15 ml
Instructions
FOR THE DOUGH
- Warm the water in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until lukewarm or until a thermometer reads 110℉. Add the active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of your sugar. Combine and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the wet ingredients. *Skip this step if using instant dry yeast and add the yeast directly to dry ingredients.
- In the meantime, in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, mix the remaining sugar, salt, and 4 cups of flour. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add milk and butter and microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm and the butter is mostly melted. The mixture should be warm to the touch, but not hot. If it is too hot, let it cool before adding the yeast to prevent killing the yeast. If you have a thermometer make sure it registers below 110℉ before adding in the proofed yeast. Without a thermometer, check the temperature with your fingers, if it feels too hot then it's too hot for the yeast. It should be just warm.
- Whisk in the egg and the proofed yeast to the warm milk and butter. Slowly add it to the dry ingredients while mixing at low speed using the dough hook or a wooden spoon until moistened and no dry flour remains.
- Gradually increase the speed to high until a cohesive dough forms. Add in an additional ½ cup of flour in two parts and continue beating for about 2 minutes. The dough should start to become more elastic and consistent and it should be a bit sticky. If the dough is still too wet and isn’t yet pulling from the sides of the bowl, continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it cleans the sides of the bowl. Be careful of adding too much flour, it could become tough and dry.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead with your hands for 6-8 minutes until smooth and you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking easily.
- Form a smooth round ball and place it seam down in a lightly greased large bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling. In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, press down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a long rectangle about 18 x 12 inches. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the top edge. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and press down lightly to adhere to the butter.
- From the long end, roll dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll tight as you go. Pinch seam closed and reshape the cylinder as needed to keep the 18 inches length.
- Using unflavored floss or a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 or 12 even rolls. Place them in a 9x13 inch ceramic or metal pan (see notes on pan selection) lightly greased or lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and filling is melted. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the icing.
FOR THE ICING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until smooth. Spread half of the glaze onto the warm rolls in the pan, spreading the remaining glaze after another 30 minutes. Optionally, you can let the rolls cool for 30 minutes and add the entire glaze then.
Video
Notes
- If using Instant dry yeast, incorporate it directly into the dry ingredients and adjust the measurement to 2 ¼ teaspoon or 7 grams.
- Ceramic or Metal pan? Metal conducts more heat than ceramic, hence, keep an eye on your cinnamon rolls if using a metal pan. The metal pan will cook and brown your bread more underneath and on the sides compared to a clear ceramic or glass pan. You can also use round pans and place them evenly distanced from each other to allow them to rise properly.